San Francisco Conservatory of Music Announces 2019-20 Season

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) today announces the details of its 2019-20 season. Under the theme of "Music and Nature," the 2019-20 season features repertoire, collaborations, and a curricular sequence that connects to nature's presence in music from multiple stylistic periods.

"Music and Nature" extends beyond the concert hall and into the classroom. Thematically linked courses, including a Proseminar that focuses on musical settings of nature and a class on ecomusicology and acoustic ecology, offer context for works ranging from the romantic era to the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. With performances by composers whose works evoke a natural sensibility, such as John Luther Adams, Toru Takemitsu, and Olivier Messiaen, this season brings the outdoors inside.

"Nature is the origin of all music, and this year we celebrate our relationship between the natural world and art," says SFCM President David H. Stull. "Composers for thousands of years have been inspired, influenced, and compelled by the soundscape of the living planet. Our first accessories as early humans were bone flutes and we crafted these instruments more than 40,000 years ago. Over the course of this season, I invite you to explore the remarkable canon of work that has emerged from the most fundamental relationship of our existence-it promises to be an exciting and unprecedented journey."

Watch SFCM's 2019-20 Season Announcement Video

With every season comes a smattering of special events that bring vibrant crowds to SFCM's halls. The year's concerts start with Kick-off Weekend (September 27-29), featuring performances by the SFCM guitar department, Roots, Jazz, and American Music department, Pre-College division, New Music Ensemble, and chamber music, historical performance, and technology and applied composition departments. Two Music for Food events, helping the Bay Area overcome hunger, take place October 11 and February 18 (the first with violinist Tessa Lark). Faculty guitarist Lawrence Ferrara will be honored in a retirement concert on October 19. Techapella, the annual a cappella event for the tech world, takes place again this year at SFCM on November 10. SFCM also hosts the annual Hot Air Music Festival, now in its 11th year, on March 1 in an all-day affair. At the end of the season, SFCM will hold the 12th Biennial Choral Composition Competition on May 4.

SFCM's series of master classes and guest artist concerts extends throughout the year. On October 11, SFCM presents a Music for Food event featuring violinist Tessa Lark (another Music for Food event takes place February 18), and, October 14, guitarist Manuel Barrueco gives a master class for guitar students. October 21 sees another guitar master class with Jason Vieaux, and collaborative pianist Martin Katz gives a voice master class on October 25. Deborah Voigt gives master classes on November 15, January 10, and February 7, and Patricia Racette also gives a master class on January 17. SFCM musicians perform side-by-side with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and Berkeley Symphony on January 17 and 18, respectively. The Kronos Quartet performs with SFCM and SFUSD students on February 6 and Richard Egarr gives a historical performance master class on February 11. Another historical performance master class on February 17, sponsored by American Bach Soloists, is led by conductor Jeffrey Thomas. Leon Fleisher returns to SFCM to give a master class on March 13, and cellist Marcy Rosen performs with SFCM students and faculty on March 19. Guitarist David Russell gives a master class on March 20 and another American Bach Soloists master class with faculty member Elizabeth Blumenstock takes place April 6. Pianist Robert McDonald gives a master class April 9 and a concert on April 11, part of his SFCM residency this season.

SFCM's large ensembles present works surrounding the theme "music and nature" this year in several performances. On September 28, as part of Kick-off Weekend, the SFCM New Music Ensemble, conducted by Nicole Paiement, performs Messiaen's Le merle noir, Takemitsu's Tree Line, Laura Schwedinger's Constellations, and John Luther Adams' In a Treeless Place, Only Snow. On October 18, the SFCM Orchestra, conducted by Edwin Outwater, performs Linda Catlin Smith's Wilderness, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. On November 3, the SFCM Baroque Ensemble performs Lully's Ballet des saisons, Autumn and Winter from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, movements from Rebel's Les Élémens, as well as arias with texts about nature by Handel and Vivaldi. On December 13, the SFCM Orchestra, under the direction of Joseph Young, conducts Julia Perry's A Short Piece for Orchestra and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1. Nicole Paiement returns with the SFCM New Music Ensemble on February 21 to perform Leo Brouwer's Cuban Landscape with Rain, Alexina Louie's Winter Music, and Sculthorpe's Nourlangie. On March 20, Steven Schick conducts the SFCM Chamber Orchestra in Messiaen's Des canyons aux étoiles.... Christopher Rountree conducts the SFCM Orchestra on April 17 and 19 in a program of Lutos?awski and Brahms.

A dynamic year of opera and musical theatre takes place during the 2019-20 season. On November 21-22, SFCM produces a double bill of Mozart's The Impresario and Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos (Prologue), directed by Heather Mathews and conducted by Curt Pajer. On December 6-7, Michael Mohammed directs She Turns the Tide: Musical Theatre About Women, By Women, a far-reaching revue with music direction by Lauren Mayer. The baroque opera, Ottone, by Handel will be performed in a concert version on March 14-15. The spring opera production on April 3 and 5 is Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus, sung in English, directed by Jose Maria Condemi and conducted by Curt Pajer. On April 18 and 19, SFCM presents Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, with stage direction by Michael Mohammed and musical direction by Michael Horsley. To close out the year, SFCM produces faculty member David Conte's Firebird Motel on April 30 and May 1, directed by Heather Mathews and conducted by Curt Pajer.

Historical Performance concerts abound this season. As part of Kick-off Weekend, a special early music vocal concert takes place on September 29. On November 3, the SFCM Baroque Ensemble performs nature-themed and seasonal works by Lully, Vivaldi, Rebel, and Handel. Master classes are given by Richard Egarr on February 11 and Jeffrey Thomas on February 17, presented by American Bach Soloists. The year's baroque opera selection is Handel's Ottone, performed in a concert version on March 14-15. Another American Bach Soloists master class with faculty violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock takes place April 6 and the Historical Performance faculty join guest artists on April 12 for an early music concert. The SFCM Baroque Ensemble returns April 26 for the annual concerto competition winners concert.

To start off the season, Lauren Mayer gives a cabaret-themed recital on September 8 and Ian Swensen performs a violin recital September 9. Guitarist Judicaël Perroy performs on September 15 and Mario Guarneri gives a trumpet recital September 16. Cellist Bonnie Hampton performs September 22. In October, Pre-College faculty guitarist Ross Thompson performs on the 6th and cellist Jean-Michel Fonteneau performs on the 14th. Clarinetist Jeff Anderle performs on October 21 and the Telegraph Quartet gives a recital on October 23. November sees percussionist Jack Van Geem perform on the 11th. Roots, Jazz, and American Music faculty perform on February 8 and, on February 10, cellist Amos Yang gives a recital. Additionally, in November, violinist Cordula Merks gives a recital on the 24th. Ryan Brown gives a composition recital on March 9 and, on March 18, the Telegraph Quartet returns with visiting mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer. David Conte's composition recital on April 7 sees SFCM faculty and alumni join together for several works, including regional and world premieres. Historical Performance faculty members team up on April 12 with guest artists for a recital and, on April 25, new faculty member Simon James gives a violin recital. At the end of the month, Alexander John Stalarow gives a lecture/performance on April 26.

Dates, performers, and repertoire subject to change. Visit sfcm.edu/performances for the most up-to-date information

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