Peter Grimes at SF Symphony

Extraordinary experience as climax of Britten festivities Some operas need all of the glitter they can find. Such was not the case at Davies Symphony Hall on Friday, June 27, where Michael Tilson Thomas led a concert version of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes that emphasized the powerful music and several extraordinary voices, shunning the usual expectation of costumes, staging, sets and lights. I once saw a Met production of Peter...

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Ojai Festival comes to Berkeley

The long-running Ojai Music Festival has partnered with Cal Performances for the last four years to reprise the highlights from their week of concerts in Southern California. On Thursday, June 19 they kicked off Ojai North! at UC Berkeley’s Hertz Hall. What distinguishes this festival from most others is that they change artistic directors every year, an ingenious way to infuse it with fresh vision and energy. Last year dance choreographer Mark Morris directed, showing off his...

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BCCO performs Elijah at Herbst

Berkeley Community Chorus tackles the Big Book in a tight space Under the baton of conductor Ming Luke, on June 13 the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra (BCCO) performed Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, a long oratory that he completed the year before his death. ...

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