Tag: Bay Area

’Tis the Symphony: A Guide to the California Symphony Holiday Concerts

An animated holiday classic, a Grammy-winning choir, mulled wine & cocoa to sip at your seat… Get the scoop on what to expect when you come to one of the California Symphony’s holiday concerts.


There’s nothing quite like the buzzing atmosphere of the California Symphony’s holiday concerts, with the aroma of mulled wine in the hall, free activities in the lobby, and a program of music that’s geared to getting everyone into the holiday spirit.

’TIS THE SYMPHONY takes place Saturday, Dec. 22 at 4PM and 8PM at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek, and whether you’re a regular or a first timer, we want you to feel welcome at the California Symphony, right here in Walnut Creek. Here’s a quick run down on what to expect for the holiday concerts.

Before the Show

Free, family-friendly fun starts in the lobby an hour before each performance.

Hot Cocoa and Mulled Wine in the Lobby

In addition to the usual selection of wines and sodas for sale in the lobby, hot cocoa with all your favorite toppings will be available at the Cocoa Bar. Meanwhile for those wanting to put a little more spirit into their season, mulled wine will also be available. (And if you’d like to get a head start on that festive feeling, check out California Symphony violist Catherine Matovich’s mulled wine recipe here.)

Pro tip: Save time at intermission by ordering your drinks in advance. Just flag down one of the gold vest-wearing, iPad-wielding members of the catering staff in the 2nd and 3rd floor lobbies before the performance to place your order.

Instrument Petting Zoo

The always-popular Instrument Petting Zoo is a place where you can touch, hold, and even try playing the different instruments in the orchestra. Try your hand at bowing a violin or a cello, or pucker up and try the trumpet or trombone. Find the petting zoo in the 3rd floor lobby.

Pro Tip: It’s not just for the kids.

Try a trombone… a violin, a cello, a flute, a clarinet and more at the Instrument Petting Zoo in the 3rd floor lobby.

Pick Up a Baton!

Step up to the conductor’s podium in the 2nd floor lobby, take up the baton and pretend you’re our guest conductor for the evening! Post your podium pictures to Facebook or Instagram and tag #CaliforniaSymphony for a chance to win tickets to our January performance, A TANGO WITH MOZART.

“The Snowman” Crafting & Coloring

Feeling crafty? Then come to the activity tables on the 2nd floor lobby for coloring, dot-to-dot, and snowman mask-making. Get creative at the table or pick up your free activity “Make & Take” packet to go.

The Performance

The Grammy-winning Pacific Boychoir Academy joins the full orchestra to perform holiday favorites as well as singing to the Oscar-nominated holiday classic, The Snowman, which is played on the big screen as the orchestra and choir perform music from the soundtrack live. To learn more about the Oakland-based Pacific Boychoir Academy—the only full-time boys’ chorus school on the west coast of North America—read profiles of Head Boy Cadence Strange and chorister Tavian Roberts on our blog. You can also go behind the scenes with video production technician Kim Rooker and read about how the orchestra stays in time with the movie.

Full details of the music will be in the free program book you’ll be handed as you enter the auditorium. The duration of each piece is also listed in the program, and you’ll find the words for the audience sing-along in the book too — so you can join in the singing with gusto!

The Program

California Symphony—Donato Cabrera, music director

Pacific Boychoir Academy—Andrew Brown, music director

Anderson—A Christmas Festival (6 minutes)

Regney/Shayne Baker—Do You Hear What I Hear? (3 minutes)

Children’s Christmas Medley (9 minutes)

  • I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
  • I’m Gettin’ Nuttin’ for Christmas
  • All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth

Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)—Selections from The Nutcracker (24 minutes). Miniature Overture, Marche, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, Russian Dance, Arabian Dance, Chinese Dance, Dance of the Reed Flutes, Waltz of the Flowers

— I N T E R M I S S I O N (20 minutes) —

Blake (b. 1938)—The Snowman (26 minutes) with the Pacific Boychior Academy

Audience sing-along

  • Deck the Hall (2 minutes)
  • Silent Night (3 minutes)
  • Jingle Bells (2 minutes)

Anderson—Sleigh Ride (2 minutes)

Pro-tip: You can listen to Music Director Donato Cabrera’s holiday program playlist on Spotify.

Questions?

Our online Guide for Newcomers has answers to all the FAQs we could think of about attending the Symphony for the first time, including what to wear (A: whatever you like), are phones allowed in the auditorium (A: yes, but in silent mode), and whether you can take your drink into the auditorium (A: absolutely!)

Whether you’re coming back for your 32nd year or joining us for the first time, we look forward to seeing you, and to sharing a holiday tradition with you. Thanks for coming to see the California Symphony—your resident professional orchestra that’s based right here in Walnut Creek!

’Tis the Symphony takes place Saturday, December 22 at 4:00PM and 8:00PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, with activities in the lobby starting an hour earlier, at 3:00PM and 7:00PM.

Tickets start at $42 for adults and $20 for students and are available at www.californiasymphony.org or by calling the Lesher Center at 925.943.7469.

11 Weird & Wonderful Versions of the Nutcracker

From Sesame Street to the Simpsons and rubber chickens, Tchaikovsky’s classic has been given some interesting treatments through the years. Here’s our pick of 11 of the best (and the worst.)

Spoiler alert: Yes, there are rubber chickens.

1. The Simpsons — Cause Christmas Eve is Here

“Why should I care it’s all humbug.” — Montgomery Burns

2. Sesame Street

Elmo gets down with Jamie Foxx for The Nutcracker Mash.

3. Walt Disney’s Fantasia

The classic 1940 Walt Disney film featured dancing animated fairies, fish, flowers, mushrooms and leaves. No actual nutcracker is ever seen in this version.

4. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren star in Disney’s latest holiday film.

5. Pentatonix — Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Part of their 2014 holiday album, the a cappella quintet gave their signature treatment to the Nutcracker classic.

6. Barbie in the Nutcracker

Barbie plays the role of Clara. What else can we say?

7. Line Rider — Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies

There’s something so satisfying about these Line Rider doodles, set to music. Which sledder will win — orange, blue, or green scarf?

8. Care Bears: The Nutcracker

Surprisingly, Rotten Tomatoes gives the Care Bears Nutcracker an audience score of 81%.

9. Royal Ballet — Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

As your reward for getting this far, here is Lauren Cuthbertson performing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

10. Tetris

Tchaikovsky, distilled to 8-bit electronic noises. If you fall behind, the game nicely speeds up the music to throw you into panic.

11. TwoSet Violins

Australian YouTubers Brett Yang and Eddy Chen have given the rubber chicken treatment to Toto’s Africa and Mahler’s Fifth, and now Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker.

“The Nutcracker” is featured in the ‘Tis the Symphony holiday concerts, Saturday, December 22 at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek.

Tickets start at $42 / $20 for kids and students under 25 with valid student I.D. at californiasymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Box Office at 925.943.SHOW.

Cadence Strange: Student in the Spotlight

Cadence Strange, 12, gets up at 5:30 a.m. to make the two-hour commute from Pittsburg by bus and BART to Oakland, where he attends the Pacific Boychoir Academy. In addition to taking regular classes, Cadence spends three hours a day studying music theory, learning to sight-read, and rehearsing choral works in Latin and German.


California Symphony Orchestra (CSO): What’s the best thing about being a student at the PBA?

Cadence Strange: There is so many wonderful things about being here at PBA! We get individual attention from teachers, I get to sing classical music, and I have made tons of friends here — the campus is so small you can’t miss anyone!

CSO: What’s the most fun or interesting performance you’ve ever sung at and why?

CS: The most interesting performance has to be Boris Gudonov with the San Francisco Symphony. We got to go on stage and act and sing; it was a semi-staged opera. Also, I got to one more language to add to my collection: Russian! We got to sing with a professional tenor; he and I stood next to each other and practice together — it was AMAZING.

CSO: Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

CS: I’ve always been a fan of being in business, that might be something I’d like to explore. I’ve also thought about becoming an opera singer or maybe a NASCAR driver.

Read more about Cadence in this interview with the East Bay Times “Pittsburg Boy’s Voice is Opening Doors in the Music World”

The Pacific Boychoir Academy joins the California Symphony for the ’Tis the Symphony holiday concerts, Saturday, December 22, at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek, where they will sing festive selections with the full orchestra and perform to the soundtrack of The Snowman as it plays on the big screen.

Tickets start at $42 / $20 for kids and students under 25 with valid student I.D. at californiasymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Box Office at 925.943.SHOW.

A Day in the Life: Chorister Tavian Roberts

Tavian Roberts, 12, is a student at the Pacific Boychoir Academy in Oakland, the only full-time boys’ chorus school on the west coast of North America. The choir school integrates a full academic curriculum with daily musical instruction for boys in grades 4–8. Tavian sings with the choir for the California Symphony’s ’Tis the Symphony holiday concerts, Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek.


California Symphony Orchestra: What’s a typical day like as a student at the Pacific Boychoir Academy?

I get to PBA on my bike in the morning and usually have a few minutes to talk to friends before the first bell. When the bell rings we dress the line, and then go to our first class. We have two academic classes before our first break where you get time to play tag or basketball and talk to friends. The school is pretty fluid because sometimes we have performances, but since everyone knows each other well, you flow naturally from one class to the next.

At lunchtime, if you forget your lunch the teachers will give you some snacks to tide you over. Everyone makes mistakes, and the teachers know that; they are very sympathetic.

After lunch its usually MTV — Musicianship, Theory, and Voice, or Be The Change. Theory class helps you expand your knowledge of music, to learn things you never knew before. Musicianship is a test of your inner ear, it helps you perfect things you already know. Be The Change teaches you how to be a part of a group; sometimes its hard to rely on others and this teaches you how to integrate with the group. PBA is very community-based, it’s one of the school’s strong points. After that period is music. Music is the most important time of our day, where we learn our repertoire. At the end of the day, we pack up our stuff whether its in the trough or our locker, and head home. Except for Fridays; I am part of the Cooking Club that meets after school on Fridays.

CSO: Do you play other musical instruments?

I’ve tried piano and guitar, but I chose my voice after I realized it’s the one instrument that I felt good working on. I like the way I sing!

CSO: What’s the best part of going to school at the Pacific Boychoir Academy?

The best thing about being a student at PBA is that it gives you the chance to be the best singer you can be. No matter where I go in life, these years will always be a big part of me. Singing is the the means to an end; the vehicle that lets you go on a journey to different countries and meet different people.

CSO: What’s the most memorable performance you’ve been a part of with the PBA?

The most interesting performance I’ve ever sung was on my very first tour in Oregon. We went to PicFest — a choral festival. There were so many concerts at that tour, it was so interesting to listen to their music and have them listen to ours. I feel proud about what we presented.

CSO: Any idea what you’d like to be when you grow up?

I would like to be a chef when I grow up. I’m not sure what kind of chef, or if I will have my own restaurant, but I have a passion for culinary things and I’d like to see how that goes.

The Pacific Boychoir Academy joins the California Symphony for the ’Tis the Symphony holiday concerts, Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek, where they will sing festive selections with the full orchestra and c

Tickets start at $42 / $20 for kids and students under 25 with valid student I.D. at californiasymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Box Office at 925.943.SHOW.

Sync-ing the Snowman

Kim Rooker is the Bay Area’s go-to expert in productions featuring movies with the soundtrack played by a live orchestra for over a decade. We go behind the scenes with Kim to learn how the orchestral, live movie magic comes together—so the images you see on screen stay in time with the music.

Walking in the Air: The conductor’s version of the movie includes a running clock to help him stay on track with the video.

California Symphony Orchestra: How long have you been doing live orchestra video production?

Kim Rooker: Since 2006, when we installed a film projection system at Davies Hall for a San Francisco Symphony performance of Charlie Chaplin’s score, set to the movie City Lights. Until that point, there was no way for the conductor to sync the music to the film other than visual reference to the movie.

Before then, I was doing audio and video production for big corporate events for companies like Apple and Pepsi. Then an associate brought me in to supervise a projection install at San Francisco Symphony’s Davies Hall for Bugs Bunny on Broadway, a clip show of Looney Tunes cartoons which featured classical music including Puccini’s Barber of Seville and Wagner (Elmer Fudd’s Magic Helmet). The Symphony staff asked me if I could help them with opera supertitles and other projects requiring video support, and one thing led to another. The early film-with-orchestra projects were older films like The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Casablanca, and many Hitchcock films.

CSO: How do you make sure the orchestra and the video stay in sync?

KR: For The Snowman, I use a video recorder/playback device called a KiPro. The KiPro sends video to the screen and also the same video with time-code to the conductor. The conductor’s score has notes as to how the time-code relates to the movie. The audience sees the same program material, but not the time-code reference.

The Snowman system is a little different from most of the movie-for-orchestra systems. Often I see a single laptop computer sending different video files to the screen and conductor simultaneously. The conductor’s video will have cueing information that is authored with a program called Streamers. This more complex system helps when running a movie that can often be over two and half hours.

CSO: There is no dialog in the Snowman. Does this make it easier or harder for Donato and the orchestra to stay on track?

KR: The Snowman does have a few difficult tempo changes, but a film’s dialog usually is not used for reference. Often there is no music during scenes with dialog and the music tends to be used for action sequences or scene transitions.

CSO: What is the trickiest part of your work?

KR: Because for the actual performance I just start the video playback, the real work is setting up the system and the rehearsal. I am also responsible for the projection and make sure there is a quality image on the screen.

CSO: Do you actually get to enjoy the movie?

KR: I get to see the rehearsals and the final rehearsal is great because I can sit in the best seat in the house.

CSO: Do you have a favorite movie you’ve worked on? And is there any movie that you’re just completely over because you’ve spent so much time on it?

KR: Many of the movies with orchestra have music composed by John Williams: Raiders of the Lost Arc, Jurassic Park and Star Wars are all very enjoyable. Amadeus was wonderful and a hard ticket to get. Many of the Pixar movies are popular and the “clip show” (segments of many films) is great fun.

The Harry Potter series of eight movies has John Williams’ music on the first four. With rehearsals and several show days, seeing each movie many times makes for a lot of the Harry Potter story!

Kim Rooker will be behind the scenes for The Snowman, which will play on the big screen while the orchestra and Pacific Boy Choir Academy perform the score at the ‘Tis the Symphony holiday concerts, Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek.

Tickets start at $42 / $20 for kids and students under 25 with valid student I.D. at californiasymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Box Office at 925.943.SHOW.

SOUND MINDS STORIES: A Parent’s Perspective

Fabiola is mom to Adeline, one of the original Sound Minds students who joined the pilot program in 2012.

Fabiola’s daughter Adeline was one of the original Sound Minds students. Youngest daughter Stefanie-Sofia looks forward to joining the program in second grade next year.

CSO: Your daughter Adeline joined the program back when it started in 2012. What has your experience with Sound Minds been like?

FABIOLA: I think it’s a great program. It helps kids gain more confidence. It also helps them with their reading a lot. One of my daughters had a problem with reading and now she loves reading, so it’s helped her a lot with that.

I feel like it also brings us together as a family. Sometimes on a Friday night we’ll have a mini concert! My husband and I are the audience, and the kids are either singing or playing an instrument so that brings us together as a family.

CSO: How do you think Sound Minds has impacted your daughter?

FABIOLA: It’s helped Adeline a lot because she also has music classes in middle school. She also has them at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. [CSO: This is a new partnership championed by the California Symphony, where Sound Minds students can now continue intensive Arts instruction after they leave Downer.] She was extremely shy, and now she’s not.

At the last concert in the middle school, she didn’t even have to look at the notes any more because she knows the music already and I told her “I’m so proud of you, baby!”

Even in the East Bay Center when she’s in a concert, I can see she’s feeling the music and she’s enjoying the concert, and I like it because she was so super shy in front of people and in front of an audience, and now she’s not. It’s helped her a lot.

Fabiola plans for her daughter Stephanie-Sofia to join the program when she gets to second grade. Stephanie-Sofia says she’d like to learn the cello, just like big sister Adeline.


Be a part of the success! Support music education and the Sound Minds program during the California Symphony’s Crescendo Your Impact fall fundraising campaign and when you give by Oct. 31, 2018, your gift is matched dollar-for-dollar and your impact is DOUBLED.

Your donation supports:

A season of exciting concerts featuring amazing professional musicians and stellar guest artists — all right here in Walnut Creek

Sound Minds — providing intensive music training and transforming the lives and futures of local children in one of the most economically disadvantaged parts of the state

Emerging composer talent through the highly-regarded Young American Composer-in-Residence program

www.californiasymphony.org/crescendo or call the California Symphony office at 925 280 2490 for assistance.


This is one article in a series of five about the California Symphony’s El Sistema-inspired music education program, Sound Minds.

View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com

Learn more about the Sound Minds program at www.californiasymphony.org/sound-minds or call the California Symphony Office at 925 280 2490.

SOUND MINDS STORIES: The Teachers Talk

For the teachers, Sound Minds is not just about learning an instrument and raising academic standards; it’s teaching persistence, personal responsibility and life skills—and opening students up to a wider world of opportunities they would never otherwise have dreamed of.

Sound Minds teachers Amy Haltom and David Sego.

Amy Haltom is Program Coordinator for Sound Minds and been with the program since its inception in 2012. David Sego joined Sound Minds in 2016. Both teach violin in the Sound Minds program.

CSO: What would you like people to understand about Sound Minds?

AH: That it is a music education program that’s not just about music. It’s about building community, teaching life skills, teaching responsibility through the act of making music together. It’s designed to bring a community closer together and instill a sense of responsibility in the children that participate in the program.

DS: Sound Minds sets our students up for academic success beyond their musical participation. We track our students’ performance academically year over year and we see massive improvement compared to their peers who are progressing much less quickly. So we find that that is a huge benefit. And all of that comes from the skills they are learning from musicianship.

CSO: How do the students do in terms of musical progress?

DS: Our students get a big head start on their musical skills. By starting in the second grade we are two to three years ahead of most Elementary school programs in the Bay Area and that leads to a lot of success for them. By sixth grade, they’re displaying skills that high school students are learning in other orchestra programs. So that’s really exciting to see.

This last year, our students did a side-by-side rehearsal with the Dougherty Valley High School orchestra and our 6th graders were keeping up with those high school kids, like, no sweat! One of the high school kids said “Wow, you know, I didn’t even learn this until tenth grade!” So it was really exciting to see that our kids are way ahead of the game by starting so early.


CSO: Why does Sound Minds matter?

AH: One reason I think Sound Minds is really is important to this community is that this community is under a lot of economic stress. In being with the program 7 years, I’ve seen that worsen over time. I see houses where more and more cars are parking because they have to let out a room in their house to a tenant because they need to make ends meet, so they can get food for their family.

Populations like this don’t have any resources left over to do things like get an instrument for their child or get lessons for their child, so I feel like what we can give them is something that they wouldn’t get otherwise.


AH: We had a student here who was part of the pilot program—Diego. He played the cello and he was a very charming little guy and he told the principal one time that he wanted to become a musician. The principal reminded him that he already was a musician, and so he said, “Well, I want to take it to the next level.”

To me, knowing Diego and where he came from—he was a little bit unruly when he was a younger student, and sometimes he struggled and wanted to quit—but then he took it upon himself to continue to the very end and he is now having success in middle school as a result. I’m very proud of students like Diego who realize that if they stick with something that might be difficult, that they might not get in the first year or two, that they have a whole world of rewards that can come back to them as a result.

DS: With Sound Minds, it’s special to see the cohesiveness of the community that forms among the students. Even within the first year, they start to think together and work together and that cohesion builds into really deep friendships… so that by the time they graduate they feel like they really belong somewhere.

They’ve also by then connected to the wider community, so they’ve got friends now at a high school many miles away, and they have an opportunity to transition to a program at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts where they then connect to an even wider artistic community in the Bay Area. I feel like that community they develop is the most important thing.


CSO: What is your hope for the future for these kids?

AH: My hope is that this program has shown them that there is a wider world out there for them, and that despite any temporary circumstances that they might be going through, that this is an opportunity for them to connect to a broader world and to go places—either in their imagination or literally—that they never would have imagined otherwise. So I feel that is something really important that we can give them for the future.

DS: I feel that Sound Minds gives our students a lot of confidence in their ability to learn and be lifelong learners. I know that in my own life that music took me places I never would have dreamed of going — overseas, to Europe and Russia, meeting people from all over the world. It really broadened my own outlook. I try to share with my students on a daily basis that that world is out there and that if they work hard and express themselves in such a beautiful way, that someday they might be able to do something like that too.


Be a part of the success! Support music education and the Sound Minds program during the California Symphony’s Crescendo Your Impact fall fundraising campaign and when you give by Oct. 31, 2018, your gift is matched dollar-for-dollar and your impact is DOUBLED.

Your donation supports:

A season of exciting concerts featuring amazing professional musicians and stellar guest artists — all right here in Walnut Creek

Sound Minds — providing intensive music training and transforming the lives and futures of local children in one of the most economically disadvantaged parts of the state

Emerging composer talent through the highly-regarded Young American Composer-in-Residence program

www.californiasymphony.org/crescendo or call the California Symphony office at 925 280 2490 for assistance.


This is one article in a series of five about the California Symphony’s El Sistema-inspired music education program, Sound Minds. Others include:

View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com

View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com

Learn more about the Sound Minds program at www.californiasymphony.org/sound-minds or call the California Symphony Office at 925.280.2490.

Mozart Interrupted

What additional treasures might exist had Mozart survived beyond 35? And what iconic works *wouldn’t* we have, if other great composers had died young like him?


“When I am… completely myself, entirely alone… or during the night when I cannot sleep, it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how these ideas come I know not nor can I force them.” —Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

If Mozart is to be taken at his word, he must have lived much of his short life in sleepless but productive solitude. He composed over 600 musical works—including 21 stage and opera works, 15 masses, and over 50 symphonies—and he did all this in just half a lifetime.

As much wonderful music as Mozart left us, it is tantalizing to wonder what else he might have gone on to write, had he had a few more years. When Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35 while writing his Requiem Mass, he was at the peak of his powers: He had finished two operas (including the much-loved Magic Flute), a clarinet concerto, a cantata and had about two-thirds of the Requiem completed.

What if he’d had another 30 years ahead of him? How many more operas, concerti and great symphonic works would he have delivered? How much further would he have advanced the forms?

Of course, we’ll never know the answer, but this started us thinking—possibly a little morbidly—about all the other great works that would not exist, had their composers also been struck down in their 30s. Consider, for example, that Bruckner did not even complete his first symphony until he was 43; Beethoven wrote symphonies five through nine all after the age of 35; and Brahms delivered his virtuosic second piano concerto at the comparatively ripe old age of 48.

Here is a short list of monumental works that would never have been written had their composers perished like Mozart at the age of 35.

  1. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

There would be no Ode to Joy since Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony at the age of 54.

2. The Nutcracker Suite

There would be no sugar plum fairies dancing to music composed by Tchaikovsky at age 52.

3. The Messiah

The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without gems like For Unto Us a Child is Born and the Hallelujah Chorus, composed by Handel at age 56.

4. New World Symphony

Dvorak composed his Ninth Symphony, the New World, at the age of 52.

5. Wagner’s Ring Cycle

Not one single note of the stirring Ride of the Valkyries, composed as part of Wagner’s opera saga at the age of 61.

We’ll never really know what the world lost when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died at just 35, working on the Requiem that was to become his own unfinished swan song, but it is astonishing to consider his achievements in the context of other composers’ bodies of work which were delivered in up to twice the time.

Mozart’s genius and his singular place among the greats is undeniable. Rather than dwell on the loss, perhaps a better course of action is to reflect on and appreciate the many glorious treasures he left behind?

The California Symphony performs MOZART REQUIEM with the San Francisco Conservatory Chorus on March 17 at 8 PM and March 18 at 4 PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

Visit www.californiasymphony.org for information.

5 Questions with our Mozart Requiem Soloists

An agricultural engineer, a budding neuroscientist, and ripped pants during a performance: We learned some of the inner secrets of the talented stars of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music who will be featured in our MOZART REQUIEM concerts this month.


Esther Tonea, soprano

Esther Tonea, soprano

1. Where are you from?

I usually say Buford, Georgia, but I was born in Hayward! Before starting my Masters at SFCM, I lived with my family in Georgia for 12 years.

2. Something people might be surprised to learn about you?

In the transition from high school to college, I was planning to study neuroscience and have music as my “side gig.” In high school I did a two year internship at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta studying the effects of the hippocampus on relational memory, and I was so fascinated by all of this research that I was certain I wanted to pursue a career in neuroscience. Well… things change, Jo. The moment I realized I needed to choose music was my freshman year when I was playing in the pit orchestra for Bizet’s Carmen. I was fighting tears just at the thought of a life without music, and that’s how I knew what I needed to do.

3. What is your Plan B?

What is this “Plan B” you speak of? Asking for a friend…

4. Do you play any instruments?

I grew up in a very musical family. My dad studied music (upright bass and piano) in Romania while growing up, and my mom took my sisters and I to zillions of private lessons and performances throughout the years. I tried bass, flute, and french horn until I fell in love with the cello. Now I have two Bachelors degrees in performance: one for cello and one for voice!

5. How has music changed your life?

Music has changed my life in more ways than I can count. When I first started playing in orchestra in middle school I began to learn how to work in groups, listening to each person’s musical contributions and ideas. Music taught me discipline, showed me inspiration, helped me explore passion… The list is endless and each individual component continues its refinement daily. I don’t know who I would be without music (and I’m not sure I even want to think about it)!

Kaitlin Bertschi, mezzo-soprano

Kaitlin Bertschi, mezzo-soprano

1. Where are you from?

I’m originally from Long Island, New York but spent time living in New Orleans as well.

2. Favorite performance outfit?

Either my senior recital dress which I picked specifically because I was performing the Habanera from Carmen (lots of ruffles and flair!) or the beautiful Geisha costume I wore when I performed in Madama Butterfly with New Orleans Opera.

3. How has music changed your life?

Music, primarily singing, may be the most influential element of my life. It’s become all-consuming in the best way. Learning a role, or singing a text has served me as an avenue for processing my feelings. It’s been my vehicle for connecting and sharing with the people in my life. It’s taught me discipline, patience, and humility in a profound way like no other forces in my life. The text to Schubert’s An die Musik comes to mind when trying to sum up how music has changed and shaped me.

4. Nothing ever goes as planned — What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened during a performance?

This is so true. The first thing that comes to mind is a performance of the Verdi Requiem I sang in when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree. It was a collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and I just remember that music being so, so very powerful. During the performance, in the middle of the Dies Irae, the chorus, soloists, orchestra, and maestro were all shocked when the head of the bass drum exploded on stage after those major drum hits Verdi composed for the part. They had to replace the instrument with another, but I think the percussionist was able to flip it over and keep playing to finish the movement. The performance, of course, went on and I’m not sure the audience even noticed.

5. What is your Plan B?

I always thought it would be really nice to be a florist. Flowers are so pretty. People are always sending them to show a little love. Wouldn’t that be a nice thing to be a part of? But I think I’ll stick to Plan A.

Jimmy Kansau, tenor

Jimmy Kansau, tenor

1. Where are you from?

I’m from the Andes of Venezuela. But I should consider myself a San Franciscan since I’ve been here for 23 years. To some that’s a lifetime.

2. What is your Plan B?

I’m realizing it as we speak. A while back I was studying to be an agricultural engineer. Two classes left to graduate I said: I’m done.

3. How has music changed your life?

Music has allowed me to visit other countries and meet people. Music has opened a way to inspire others through mentoring. Music has allowed me to fulfill my dreams of working in some of the best venues in the world. But most importantly the friendships that have developed from it all.

4. Do you play any instruments?

I play the guitar to accompany myself or my siblings. I also play the Cuatro which is the big sister of the Ukulele brought by the Portuguese to South America.

5. Something people might be surprised to learn about you?

I am the Studio Director and partner of an interior design firm JKA Design of San Francisco. I also used to paint landscapes and do architectural renderings back in the 80’s and 90’s. I love the mid-century sensitivity in architecture, design and music.

Brandon Bell, baritone

Brandon Bell, baritone

1. Where are you from?

I am from Suffolk, Virginia — the proud “Peanut Capital of the World!”

2. What is your Plan B?

When I was a junior in high school, I remember pressing one of the Young Artists at a local opera company for advice, particularly about going to college and studying voice. He left me with an incredible message that has stuck with me ever since. To paraphrase, he said, “If you want to succeed in this business, you have to give it everything you’ve got; all of you, with little-to-no doubt. You just go for it!” For me, that meant working 100% at my craft without carrying the uncertainties and potential instabilities of the career with me. So to answer your question, there is no Plan B, just complete dedication for now.

3. When did you start singing and when did you realize you wanted to do this for a living?

I’ve honestly been singing my entire life, and I barely remember a time when I wasn’t holding a microphone and forcing my family to endure one-man, living room, talent shows. In one of my second-grade projects, I stated that when I grew up, I wanted to be “either a singer or an astronaut.” Astronaut was essentially the go-to choice for boys back then, and my second choice career continued to evolve as I grew older. But throughout adolescence, high school, and the beginning of my young adult years, my number one want has always been to be a singer. I started taking voice lessons and singing opera in ninth grade, and for the first time in my life, my voice really felt at home. I pretty much made a commitment to it then.

4. Any musically talented relatives?

My dad is an INCREDIBLE singer and probably is the source of most of my musical gifts and love for performing. He spent part of his time as a soldier in the US Army touring and singing in a group that covered almost every genre of music imaginable. (Also: You didn’t hear this from me, but he does a killer Louis Armstrong).

5. What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened during a performance?

As a high schooler, I had the unique opportunity to be in the chorus of a couple of productions with Virginia Opera. I was lucky enough to be in the chorus of their 2009 production of Daughter of the Regiment. In our opening scene, was staged to drop down on one knee directly downstage center. So, we’re in performance, and I do my thing — I get down and I hear a loud *riiiiiiip*. I look down and find that I have completely ripped the inseam of my pants. Unfortunately for me, right after that moment we had a large group dance number, complete with kicks, which I had to meticulously navigate without exposing my ripped pants to the packed audience. Since then, ripped pants have kinda become my thing!

The California Symphony performs MOZART REQUIEM with the San Francisco Conservatory Chorus on March 17 at 8 PM and March 18 at 4 PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

Visit www.californiasymphony.org for information.

A Fearless Podium Debut

Maestro Donato Cabrera’s trip down memory lane reveals a bold choice for a young conductor.

Now and Then: Music Director Donato Cabrera at the podium at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek (left) and at the University of Nevada, Reno in the 1990s (right).

Our upcoming PASTORAL BEETHOVEN concerts include a nostalgic selection for California Symphony Music Director Donato Cabrera. It’s a piece by Bedřich Smetana, who composed six symphonic poems titled Má vlast (“my homeland” in Czech), the most famous of which is Vltava (Die Moldau), which was written about a river that flows through Prague.

For Cabrera, Vltava also happens to be the first piece of music he ever conducted for an audience, as a 19-year-old student at the University of Nevada at Reno.

“It was a piece that I had fallen in love with when I was in high school,” says Cabrera. “As a sophomore at college, I was given the opportunity to conduct the university orchestra and I chose to conduct this piece. Looking back, it is far too difficult for a young conductor’s debut effort, but ignorance can be bliss!”

When asked what he recalls from the evening, he says that he doesn’t remember much, but he does remember that he wasn’t at all nervous.

We dug through the archives and found these early pictures of a very assured-looking maestro-in-the-making from his UNR days in the early 1990s.

Photo credits: Stuart Murtland











Why Perform “Vltava” Again Now?

Music Director Donato Cabrera explains that he paired Smetana and Beethoven’s Symphony №6 (aka the Pastoral) together for the upcoming PASTORAL BEETHOVEN concerts because they both describe outdoor scenes, but from entirely unique perspectives.

“The symphony is like a day in the country, from the exuberance of the early morning sunrise, to the final lullaby at the very end. In Smetana’s piece, it’s almost like it’s from the perspective of the river, starting from the sounds of its source, to reaching its full force at the St. John’s Rapids, finally ending as it joins with the Elbe River in Germany.”

Donato Cabrera conducts PASTORAL BEETHOVEN Saturday, January 20 at 8pm & Sunday, January 21 at 4pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.

For more information, visit californiasymphony.org.