Vocal focus
from CCMN*
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VOCAL EVENTS
Lauri D. Goldenhersh’s Weekly Highlights
Whatever your current romantic status, celebrate love this weekend: love of a special somebody, love of music, love of SoCal… even love of chocolate as an art form of the gods… (But I digress.)
As we mentioned last week (so you’d have a little notice), LA PHIL’s ‘Romance at the Phil‘ concerts start tonight (Thursday), with some spectacular Berg, Brahms and Beethoven. Read our ‘Hidden Gem’ from last week’s Next 7
Speaking of Ludwig, PASADENA SYMPHONY performs one of the best-loved major works in classical music: Beethoven’s powerhouse 9th Symphony, with soloists TRACY COX (soprano) , LAURA HARRISON (mezzo), CASEY CANDEBAT (tenor) and ANDREW CRAIG BROWN (bass). The concert also features THE DONALD BRINEGAR SINGERS, and starts with two of their favorite sets by Morten Lauridsen: the ‘Mid-Winter Songs’ and ‘Nocturnes’. The Lauridsen/Beethoven pairing is unusual, but somehow seems just right, and is all led by conductor KAZEN ABDULLAH. (They’re doing **two** performances of this big program on Saturday — I hope they all have Sunday off!) Learn more
Is your grand passion more operatically inclined? Two schools are serving up rather dystopian romance, with ‘Don Giovanni’ at UCLA and ‘Cosi fan tutte’ at Pepperdine. (Mozart’s characters are often cynical about love, but the operas are divine.) But SAN DIEGO OPERA’s delightful ‘Elixir of Love’ starts Saturday 2/15, for those who prefer a romp. Details on SDO’s production
For something completely different, embracers of modern tech can enjoy a unique opera experience (and free admission!) at the Hammer Museum in Westwood on Sunday morning, with an app-enabled simulcast of Tod Machover’s ‘Death and the Powers’ from Dallas Opera. The Boston Globe says, “The production and performances are sheer genius and technical wizardry”, and the story is ripe for this kind of arts/tech co-mingling, as it is a tale of a man who transfers his thoughts to a robot “system” so he can live beyond the lifespan of his body. Hosted by THE INDUSTRY and with tech support provided by MIT, this is yet another revolutionary idea that explores a variety of ways to experience this complex and transformative art form. You’ll need to download their app (for smartphones and tablets running iOS6 or 7 or Android 4.0 or later) before you arrive, so you can dive right in. Details and download info
Finally, RED CAR TROLLEY sings ‘Songs of Poetry and Passion’ in Long Beach on Sunday, and if you haven’t heard this standout vocal quartet and their eclectic offerings, this is a good event to start with. Click here for details
There’s plenty more on the calendar, including concerts from CLASSICAL REVOLUTION LA in Silver Lake (featuring our Lister soprano KATINA MITCHELL); and appearances by the HORIZON CHAMBER CHOIR at the Long Beach Bach Festival and as part of the concert series at LA’s historic Blessed Sacrament. Check out the calendar
One way or another, find the love in your life this week, and as always, thank you for supporting live singing!
