Saturday, November 19, 2022

SFCM Highlight: December, 2022

December at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) tends to be occupied almost entirely with end-of-term recitals. As a result there is only one highlighted event for the month. Nevertheless, that offering is definitely worthy of attention.

Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser (courtesy of SFCM)

The program will follow the usual overture-concerto-symphony format. However, the concerto offering will feature the 2022 winner of the Piano Concerto Competition, Alex Fang of the Class of ’22. He won the competition with his performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Opus 1 (first) piano concerto in F-sharp minor. The program will also feature a special guest conductor, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. He currently serves as Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education for the San Francisco Symphony, and at SFCM he is Chair of the Emerging Black Composers Project. In that capacity he has chosen to begin the program with an orchestral composition simply titled “Short Piece,” composed by Julia Perry in 1952. By that time she had already been exploring the influences of African American music in her compositions. However, 1952 happened to be the year in which she began her studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, during which time she was awarded the Boulanger Grand Prix for her viola sonata. The program will conclude with Hector Berlioz’ Opus 14, given the title “Symphonie fantastique.”

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 10. The performance will take place in the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, but it will also be available for live stream viewing. For those wishing to attend the performance, there will be no charge for admission. However, tickets should be reserved in advance; and a Web page has been created for that purpose.

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