For Bay Area music lovers, this is the time of year to make plans for summer festivals. In accordance with this year’s Covid restrictions, the usual formats have been abandoned. But the South Bay’s Music@Menlo and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music are going forward, and both have announced attractive virtual seasons.
Music@Menlo, the music festival and institute founded and directed by cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, has been presenting top artists and emerging talent in a congenial atmosphere since 2003.
The festival’s planned 2020 installment, titled “Haydn Connections,” has been postponed to 2021. In its place, Music@Menlo is taking the season into the digital domain with a new title and a new approach.
“Intermezzo,” running July 17-August 8, is its aptly named moniker. Finckel and Wu Han say this year is a true intermezzo — the Italian term for music played between larger parts of a performance — and the idea is to create a virtual bridge between past seasons and what they hope will be next year’s full return.
As such, “Intermezzo” will include live-streamed performances, new record releases, artist talks, and more — all the features that have made Music@Menlo an essential part of the Bay Area classical music landscape.
“Intermezzo” opens 5 p.m. July 17 with Finckel and Wu Han introducing the season schedule, with selections of new music from festival artists.
Season highlights include pianist Gilles Vonsattel in a live performance of Debussy’s “Images” for solo piano (5 p.m. July 19); an online launch party of a new recording of Schubert’s “Winterreise,” sung by baritone Nikolay Borchev and accompanied by Wu Han (10 a.m. July 26); and a live performance, broadcast from New York, by pianist Michael Brown and cellist Nicholas Canellakis (5 p.m. Aug. 2, program to be announced.)
Additional events include Artists Up Close, which will introduce select movements from chamber works (3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays); Lunchtime Learning (noon on weekdays); Prelude Selects, hosted by pianist Gilbert Kalish and violinist Arnaud Sussmann and featuring performances from past festivals (5 p.m. Thursdays); and Re-Encounters, with recordings from Music@Menlo’s popular Encounter series ( 5 p.m. Sundays.) Artist interviews, additional live and archival performances, and master classes round out the schedule.
Details: Music@Menlo presents “Intermezzo,” July 17-Aug. 8; free; www.musicatmenlo.org.
Cabrillo carries on: The Santa Cruz-based Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music has also announced a virtual season running July 25-Aug. 9.
Music director and conductor Cristian Măcelaru, noting that this year’s 58th annual event, which is about “music of our time, for our time,” will introduce new works, archival festival commissions, behind-the-scenes conversations and more.
The lineup includes the world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s “The Battle for the Ballot,” a new symphonic work honoring the centenary of women’s suffrage. It will be performed by members of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, recorded from their homes around the world.
Also on the schedule: Kristin Kuster’s “When There Are Nine,” a work honoring Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg featuring mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth; and songs by Jake Heggie, performed by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke. Works by Lou Harrison, David T. Little, and Anna Clyne are also on the schedule; a “Composers 20/20” series, and conversations with former Cabrillo music directors Dennis Russell Davies and Marin Alsop round out the season, which ends Aug. 9 with a virtual Community Sing.
“Despite the distance, the Festival Orchestra and I feel so profoundly connected to our Cabrillo family and so committed to the Festival,” said Măcelaru. “We all wanted and needed to make music together, to connect in meaningful ways, and to offer gifts of music and conversation that will be a source of healing and hope.” Details: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, July 25-Aug. 9; free; www.cabrillomusic.org.
Kronos looks back: Throughout its career, the Kronos Quartet has recorded many influential new works, and George Crumb’s “Black Angels” remains one of the most significant. It’s the work that led violinist David Harrington to form the award-winning quartet, and Harrington says “it set our course for the next thirty years and beyond.” Now Kronos and Nonesuch Records are marking the 30th anniversary of group’s recording of “Black Angels” with a short documentary film by Robert Edridge-Waks. Find it on www.kronosquartet.org.
Philharmonia shifts gears: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra has canceled all live performances through the end of 2020 and announced a new lineup of virtual events. Led by incoming music director Richard Egarr, 2020/VIRTUAL will include “LIVE From Amsterdam,” featuring Egarr and guest artists; “Musical Explorations,” with Philharmonia Chorale director Bruce Lamott; “PBO Sessions” and more. Check www.philharmonia.org for details.
Contact Georgia Rowe at growe@pacbell.net
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Author: Georgia Rowe