Old First Concerts: September, 2024

Readers may have noted that this month’s article about recitals in the Old First Concerts (O1C) series at Old First Presbyterian Church (1751 Sacramento Street on the southeast corner of Van Ness Avenue) concluded with September 1. That was the date on which the seventh annual San Francisco International Piano Festival concluded, with all preceding performances taking place this month. As a result, the account for this month will begin, as it usually does, with the annual Labor Day weekend concert, after which there will be only one other performance.

All of the offerings will continue to be “hybrid,” allowing both live streaming and seating in Old First at 1751 Sacramento Street on the southwest corner of Van Ness Avenue. General admission tickets will be sold for $30, with reduced rates for seniors, students, and children age twelve and under. Hyperlinks to the event pages, which include information about all ticket prices and hyperlinks for purchases, including live stream viewing, continue to be attached to the date and time of the performances in the following specifics:

Mike Greensill at his keyboard (from the event page for next month’s performance)

Sunday, September 8, 4 p.m.: The Labor Day tradition will continue with the return of jazz pianist Mike Greensill. As of this writing, information about any of the performers that will join him has not yet been announced. However, it should be safe to say that many of the selections will be Greensill’s own original compositions.

Friday, September 20, 8 p.m.: N Blanco Y Negro is the duo of Cuban pianists Mirta Gómez and Sahily Cánovas. For their program they will be joined by violinist Jennifer Redondas as special guest. Their repertoire extends from the early nineteenth century to the immediate present, which will account for the United States premiere of three of the movements from the Improvisaciones en silencio by Carlota Garriga, the first, sixth, and seventh in the set. The other contemporary composers on the program will be Jason McCauley (“Flowers”), Fazil Say (“Winter Morning in Istanbul”), and José White (“La Bella Cubana”). The earliest work on the program will be Franz Schubert’s D. 940, his Fantasia in F minor. The other familiar composers on the program will be Antonín Dvořák (the second Slavonic Dance from his Opus 72 collection), Gabriel Fauré (his Opus 56 Dolly suite), Sergei Rachmaninoff (“Polka Italienne”), and Astor Piazzolla (“Libertango”).