SFCM: February, 2019

Given the limited number of entries for January, it would probably be a good idea to move on to February for the benefit of those who make it a point to plan ahead when it comes to listening to music. February will be the first full week of the second semester at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), which means that, for the most part, there will be more focus on faculty than on students. Nevertheless, two different student ensembles will be featured during the month.

The SFCM building is located at 50 Oak Street, between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street, a short walk from the Van Ness Muni Station. Readers are encouraged to consult the Performance Calendar Web page at the SFCM Web site for the most up-to-date information about any of these offerings. Unless stated otherwise, all concerts are free. Nevertheless, reservations are recommended; and, where necessary, a hyperlink to a Google Forms Web page will be provided for making them. Here is a chronological listing of events likely to be of interest to serious and attentive listeners:

Saturday, February 2, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 3, 2 p.m., Concert Hall: Visiting conductor Edwin Outwater program will present a program featuring three distinctively different composers. The most familiar composition will be Claude Debussy’s “La mer.” Somewhat more familiar may be the selections from Joseph Canteloube’s arrangements of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France, which he arranged for soprano voice accompanied by orchestra or piano. (Two of those songs were give instrumental arrangements by William Walton in his score for Laurence Olivier’s Henry V film.) The soprano soloist will be Desirae Gonzales (class of ’18). The least familiar work on the program will probably be “D’un matin de printemps” (from a spring morning), one of the last pieces completed by Lili Boulanger before her tragic death at the age of 24 of March 15, 1918. General admission for both performances will be $20, with a $15 rate for seniors, students, and SFCM Members. Tickets may be purchased online through separate Click4Tix Web pages for Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday, February 10, 7 p.m., Recital Hall: Music for Food will be a special concert at which faculty, students, and alumni join together for a performance that benefits the community, combating hunger and providing support for people in need. (A similar concert took place during the fall semester this past October.) The full program details have not yet been announced; but performers will include the members of the resident Telegraph Quartet, violinists Joseph Maile and Eric Chin, violist Pei-Ling Lin, and cellist Jeremiah Shaw. They will give a reprise performance of Antonín Dvořák's Opus 51 (“Slavonic”) quartet in E-flat major, which they will be playing later this month in their contribution to the Discovery Series presented by San Francisco Performances. Reservations may be arranged through a Google Forms Web page. While the concert is free, a donation of $30 for adults and $15 for students is suggested.

Monday, February 11, 7:30 p.m.: The first Faculty Artist Series concert of the month will present pianist Corey McVicar. He will serve as accompanist in three sonatas performed by violinist Kyung Sun Lee. These will be Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus 24 (“Spring”) in F major, Johannes Brahms Opus 100 in A major, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Opus 94a in D major. Reservations may be arranged through a Google Forms Web page.

Sunday, February 17, 7:30 p.m.: The second Faculty Artist Series of the month will be a solo performance by guitarist Giacomo Fiore. This will be a lecture/recital presenting an analysis of Catherine Lamb's point/wave, for steel-string guitar and environmental electronics of extended duration. Reservations may be arranged through a Google Forms Web page.

[added 2/16, 9:20 a.m.:

Saturday, February 23, 8 p.m.: Mouthscape will be presenting its first ever Commission Concert. For those not yet aware of the group, Mouthscape was founded by SFCM graduate Composition student Lukáš Janata in collaboration with Bryan Lin, Bobby Chastain, Eric Choate, John Masko, Joshua Saulle and SFCM students in the fall of 2017 with the purpose of championing new works for a cappella. The commissioned composer is Michael Robert Smith, and Mouthscape will perform the world premiere of his cantata Dreams in War Time, settings of poems by Amy Lowell. Soprano Winnie Nieh will make a guest appearance in the performances of the cantata. In addition, she will be joined by guitarist Óskar Magnússon, who will accompany her in selections from Benjamin Britten's Opus 58 Songs from the Chinese; and harpsichordist Geoffrey Lee will accompany her in Henry Purcell's “From Rosy Bowers” and Claudio Monteverdi's “Si dolce è'l tormento.” No reservations will be required for this free concert.]

Sunday, February 24, 2 p.m.: Steven Schick will visit to conduct the SFCM Chamber Orchestra. He has prepared a program of different approaches to modernism with compositions by Pamela Z, Anton Webern, Luigi Dallapiccola, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir. Movements from Beethoven’s Opus 21 (first) symphony in C major will be interspersed between these compositions. Reservations may be arranged through a Google Forms Web page.

Monday, February 25, 7:30 p.m.: The final Faculty Artist Series of the month will feature the music of composer David Conte. Program specifics have not yet been announced. [added 1/29, 1:20 p.m.: Conte has now announced the selections on his program:

• In Praise of Music: Valerie Sainte-Agathe conducting the San Francisco Girls Chorus and pianist Taylor Chan
• American Death Ballads: pianist Cesar Canon accompanying bass-baritone Christian Pursell
• Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, second movement: clarinetist Jerome Simas and pianist Eric Zivian
• Sinfoniette for eleven instruments: Michail Thomposon conducting
• Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: cellist Emil Miland accompanied by pianist Kevin Korth]

Reservations may be arranged through a Google Forms Web page.