Classical picks: Cal Symph, Jeremy Denk
Symphonic works, a piano recital and chamber music gala are on the calendar this week. Here are the highlights.
“American Traditions”: The California Symphony opens its 23-24season paying tribute to Aaron Copland with a performance of the composer's suite from “Appalachian Spring.” “Me Chicano,” a new work by Juan Pablo Contreras, makes its Bay Area premiere, and Kelly Hall-Tomkins is the soloist for Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto in D. Ruth Crawford Seeger's “Rissolty Rossolty” completes the program. Details: 7:30p.m. Saturday; 4p.m. Sunday; Lesher Center, Walnut Creek; $45-$90, $20students under 25; 925-943-7469; californiasymphony.org.
“Alpine” heights: Marsalis also has a piece on this week's San Francisco Symphony program. Under music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, the orchestra will open the concert with the composer's “Herald, Holler and Hallelujah.” Leonidas Kavakos is the soloist for Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and the program concludes with Richard Strauss' breath of fresh air, the “Alpine” Symphony.
Details: 7:30 Sept. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $25-$169; 415864-6000; sfsymphony.org.
Borrow out, Denk in at UC Berkeley: A “heartbroken” pianist Tom Borrow has been forced to cancel a recital that was to be his first Bay Area appearance, after he was injured in a bicycle accident, Cal Performances officials announced. The acclaimed pianist will be replaced by Jeremy Denk in a program that includes works by Mozart, Ligeti, Bach and Beethoven. Details: 3 p.m. Sunday; Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley; $72; 510-642-9988; calperformances.org.
Chamber music gala: San Francisco Performances opens its season with a special gala performance by the Alexander String Quartet, featuring Ravel's Quartet in F Major, and Shostakovich's Quartet No. 2in A Major, No. 68.
Details: 7p.m. Sept. 29, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; $50; sfperformances.org.