Classical picks: Cal Symphony, San Jose tribute
Here are three concerts Bay Area classical music fans won't want to miss.
Cuong's “Trees”: The California Symphony is closing its season with the West Coast premiere of “Next Week's Trees” by composer-in-residence Viet Cuong. Inspired by a Mary Oliver poem, the work was introduced online in May 2021 and is finally making its in-person debut. Conducted by Donato Cabrera, the program also includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5and Elgar's Cello Concerto, featuring Nathan Chan — a Bay Area prodigy making his hometown return — as soloist. Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4p.m. Sunday; Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek; $20-$74; www.californiasymphony.org.
Mozart at New Century: Mozart's “Sinfonia concertante” for violin, viola and orchestra is the main event on the New Century Chamber Orchestra's season finale, with violist Paul Neubauer joining music director Daniel Hope and the orchestra. Two Mozart symphonies, including the brilliant No. 40 in G minor, round out the program. Details: 7:30p.m. today at First Congregational Church, Berkeley; 7:30 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto; 7:30p.m. Saturday at Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; $30-$67.50; www.ncco.org.
In memoriam: The San Jose Wind Symphony's Sunday afternoon concert is dedicated to the memory of founding director Darrell Johnston, who died in May 2021. The program features clarinetist Jon Manasse in Carl Maria von Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 1; works by Bernstein and Rimsky-Korsakov are also on the schedule. Details: 3 p.m. Sunday; McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga; $7-$22; www.sjws.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent