Choices for November 16, 2025

As a sign that this season has gotten off to a busy start, I have already written two “Choices” articles for this month, the second accounting for tomorrow, and one for next month. The date for next month is November 14, with the Ars Minerva production of the opera Ercole Amante (Hercules in love) also performing on the evening of November 15 and the afternoon of November 16. That afternoon performance will begin at 2 p.m., which is the same time that the Century Club will be hosting its next chamber music recital. Furthermore the 55th season of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP) will begin later that afternoon at 4 p.m. Specifics for those two events are as follows:

Century Club of California, 2 p.m.: According to my records, for his last visit to the Century Club, Ian Scarfe was joined by cellist Kendra Grittani. When he returns this month, he will perform with violinist Mads Tolling. They will perform Antonín Dvořák’s Opus 100, his four-movement sonatina in G major. This will be preceded by the last of Edvard Grieg’s three duo sonatas, his Opus 45 in C minor. These will, in turn, be preceded by selections from the ten volumes of Grieg’s Lyric Pieces collections for solo piano. The program will begin with an arrangement of “Morning Mood,” one of the incidental music pieces composed for the performance of Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt. George Gershwin will lead off the second half of the program with his three solo piano preludes and selections from the opera Porgy and Bess, both arranged for violin and piano, most likely by violinist Jascha Heifetz. The remainder of the program will consist of works selected by Tolling.

For those that do not already know, the Century Club is located at 1355 Franklin Street, between Post Street and Sutter Street. However, all arrangements must be made through a Groupmuse Web page. Ticket prices begin at $25, with $5 to hold a reservation. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. Drinks will be provided (both with and without alcohol). However, the club itself is not wheelchair accessible.

Members of SFCMP in performance (from the City Box Office event page for the performance taking place next month)

Brava Theatre Center, 4 p.m.: The title of the first concert of the new SFCMP season is American Reflections: Exuberance. One of those reflections will be the father-and-son relationship between composers John Adams and Samuel Carl Adams. The program will conclude with one of the “father’s” favorites, the “Chamber Symphony,” which he composed in 1992. The “son” will conclude the first half of the program with “First Work,” which will be receiving its West Coast premiere and co-commissioned by SFCMP. The piece is a song cycle, and the vocalist will be soprano Winnie Nieh. The second half of the program will begin with the celebration of Terry Riley’s 90th birthday with a performance of “Dias de los Muertos,” originally commissioned by SFCMP guitarist David Tanenbaum. The entire program will begin with Shulamit Ran’s “Soliloquy.”

The venue is located in the Mission at 2781 24th Street. Tickets are being sold through a City Box Office event page. General admission will be $45 with a $18 rate for students. There will be an “Under the Hood” pre-concert talk beginning at 3:15 p.m.