Classical picks: Nathalie Joachim, NCCO. SF Girls Chorus
Music looks back this week, in a West Coast premiere by composer Nathalie Joachim and performances by the New Century Chamber Orchestra and San Francisco Girls Chorus.
Joachim Journeys Home: Composers have always found inspiration in the events and places of the past, and Nathalie Joachim is no exception. This week, the composer, flutist, and vocalist comes to Cal Performances to perform the West Coast premiere of “Ki moun ou ye” (Who are you?), an homage to the remote Caribbean farmland of her ancestors. Drawn from field recordings, and performed by a seven-member ensemble of winds, strings, and percussion, Joachim performs the work in English and Haitian kreyòl. Details: 7:30 p.m. today; Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Berkeley; $43-$48; calperformances.org.
“Playing with Structure”: That's the title of the New Century Chamber Orchestra's March program, honoring musical architect Joseph Haydn and the classical era. Daniel Hope, now in his sixth season as music director and concertmaster, welcomes cellist Sterling Elliott as soloist in Haydn's First Cello Concerto. Stravinsky's “Suite Italienne” from “Pulcinella,” along with works by Gluck and Ernest Bloch, complete the program. Details: 7:30p.m. Friday and 3p.m. Saturday at Presidio Theatre, San Francisco; 2:30p.m. Sunday at Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University; $30-$70; ncco.org.
Venetian splendor: “Juditha Triumphans,” composed in 1716, occupies a special place in music history. Vivaldi's only surviving oratorio was composed for the women of the Venetian girls' orphanage Ospedale della Pieta, where the composer served as music director. Now the San Francisco Girls Chorus is presenting two performances of this historic work, conducted by Valérie Sainte-Agathe with stage direction by Celine Ricci.
Details: 7:30 Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Z Space, San Francisco; $20-$50; sfgirlschorus.org.