San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
In classical music, signs of revival
On the classical front, the last several months of grim hibernation and anxious silence have begun to be studded with little musical shoots — a new virtual series here, a live performance there. The musical life we all miss so terribly is still a ways off, but it’s getting nearer.
Here are some musical events worth looking forward to in the coming months:
San Francisco Symphony: As we wait for the orchestra to return safely to Davies Symphony Hall, Music Director EsaPekka Salonen continues to oversee a range of virtual offerings from the Symphony musicians and affiliated artists.
The SFSymphony+ streaming channel will forge ahead with new SoundBox programs curated by Salonen (April 15) and harpist Destiny Muhammad (May 27), and new episodes of the “Currents” series on Zimbabwean music (May 6) and Persian music (June 17).
April 15June 17. www.sfsymphonyplus.org
Cal Performances at Home: The virtual recital series from the UC Berkeley presenter continues to sponsor toplevel artists in newly recorded streaming performances.
Still to come in the spring lineup are recitals by soprano Christine Goerke (April 1), pianist Jeremy Denk (April 15), vocalist Jazzmeia Horn (April 22), the contemporary music ensemble y Music (May 20) and more.
April 1June 10. calperformances.org
Opera San Jose: Under the eminently useful umbrella title “Love & Secrets,” the company will stream a trilogy of oneact operas by Ermanno WolfFerrari, Ned Rorem and Tom Cipullo.
A standout cast is led by conductors Joseph Marcheso and Christopher James Ray in productions directed by Tara Branham.
Beginning April 15. $15$40. www. operasj.org
West Edge Opera: The company’s invaluable Snapshot program, a showcase of excerpts from new work, returns in a hybrid format offering patrons a choice of live, socially distanced performance or streaming. The six works feature music by composer Nathaniel Stookey, Anne LeBaron and Guang Yang, among others.
May 15 at Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda. Streaming begins May 16. www.westedgeopera.org
American Bach Soloists: The eminent earlymusic ensemble will stream highdefinition videos of three fulllength concerts from their archives. The series begins with a program devoted to 17th century music (streaming through April 4), followed by concerts of Bach and Vivaldi violin concertos (April 30May 9) and German music (May 28June 6).
Through June 6. www.americanbach.org
Merola Opera Program: The training wing of the San Francisco Opera celebrates the legacy of longtime director Sheri Greenawald with “Un Gala in Maschera,” a virtual showcase featuring some of the program’s distinguished alumni.
April 10. $25$125. www.merola.org
San Francisco Opera: In addition to the live production of Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” (see facing page), the company’s live offerings also include three group recitals by the Adler Fellows. The current crop comprises nine singers and two pianists, and they’ll present a variety of solos, duets and operatic ensembles.
April 29, May 6 and May 13. $50$150. Marin Center, San Rafael. www.sfopera.com