Stenberg | Cahill Duo to Present Benefit Concert

Kate Stenberg and Sarah Cahill (photographs by Jim Block and Christine Alcino, respectively, courtesy of Jensen Artists)

Next month Zion Lutheran Church will present another benefit concert in partnership with the Interfaith Welcome Refugee Support. (Readers may recall that a similar benefit concert was curated by the church’s Director of Music Kyle Hovatter this past November.) The performers will be the Stenberg | Cahill Duo of violinist Kate Stenberg and pianist Sarah Cahill. All proceeds will go directly to Dirty Girls of Lesvos, an on-the-ground NGO (non-governmental organization) that has pioneered the cleaning and redistribution of used and discarded clothing, bedding, and other materials for humanitarian relief.

The program will feature a performance of Aaron Gervais’ “Talking in Circles,” which the duo commissioned from InterMusic SF’s Musical Grant Program. The duo will perform with live electronics, but the score was written for solo violin and electronics or a variable ensemble of one to five instruments. Those who have been following the duo are likely to be familiar with some of the other works on the program. These will include Henry Cowell’s sonata for violin and piano, Kaija Saariaho’s “Tocar,” “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriela Lena Frank, and Linda Catlin Smith’s “With Their Shadows Long.”

There will be no admission charge for this concert, but donations will be appreciated and expected. Suggested levels of donation are $15 for an individual and $25 for a family. All donations may be made in advance online through an Eventbrite event page. This site allows the selection of those two options or the ability to enter any other donation level. Zion Lutheran Church is located at 495 9th Avenue near the northwest corner of Anza Street.