Monterey Symphony's six-concert season opens in October, celebrates Shakespeare, Big Sur

Top Quote The magic of one of the world's most-celebrated coastlines was the inspiration for Big Sur: The Night Sun, an original piece by Emmy Award-winning composer John Wineglass that will highlight the first of six concerts comprising the 71st season of the Monterey Symphony. End Quote
  • (1888PressRelease) August 18, 2016 - Monterey, CA - The three-time Daytime Emmy winner composed the music in honor of the Carmel Centennial Celebration, with the support of the Big Sur Land Trust, to premier at the Symphony's season-opening program, scheduled Oct. 21-23.

    The season, entitled "Shakespeare in Music," will run through May under the direction of Monterey Symphony Music Director and Conductor Max Bragado-Darman. Each concert will feature at least one work influenced by Shakespeare.

    MAIN CONCERTS:
    Concert times
    The six concert programs, which run October 2016 through May 2017, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. at Sherwood Hall in Salinas on Fridays, and at Carmel's Sunset Center on Saturdays (8 p.m.) and Sundays (3 p.m.). A pre-concert lecture will be offered an hour before each event.

    Youth Concerts
    The Symphony's long tradition of youth outreach and education continues this season with eight free Monday Youth Concerts on October 24, November 21, and April 24 at Sunset Center and March 20 at Sherwood Hall. Youth Concerts are held on Mondays at both 9:30 and 11:00 a.m., allowing thousands of students from Monterey, San Benito and south Santa Cruz Counties to experience the magic of Great Music Live. Contact dross ( @ ) montereysymphony dot org to reserve space for your school group dot

    Tickets
    All Subscription packages (6 concerts/4 concerts/3 concerts) are available now by phone or online. The 4 concert mini-series option requires selection of the concerts when purchased and the same seats are guaranteed for each concert; whereas the 3 concert flexpass option allows concert selection at any time with the same seats attempted, but not guaranteed.

    Single Tickets may be purchased beginning September 1 by phone at 831-646-8511 or online at www.montereysymphony.org. Tickets will also be sold 90 minutes before show time at the box office at Sherwood Hall or Sunset Center.

    General admission tickets for Friday concerts at Sherwood Hall (940 N. Main Street, next to the Salinas Sports Complex) are priced at $25.

    Tickets for 8pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday concerts at the Sunset Center (San Carlos at Ninth Avenue, Carmel) are priced at $80, $60, $40 and $30.

    SUNSET CENTER
    Saturdays at 8:00 PM 6 CONCERTS 4 CONCERTS 3 CONCERTS SINGLE TICKETS
    Sundays at 3:00 PM Full Series Mini Series Flexpass

    TIER 1 $474 $316 $237 $80
    TIER 2 $354 $236 $177 $60
    TIER 3 $234 $156 $117 $40
    TIER 4 N/A N/A N/A $30

    SHERWOOD HALL 6 CONCERTS 4 CONCERTS 3 CONCERTS SINGLE TICKETS
    Fridays at 7:30 PM Full Series Mini Series Flexpass
    GENERAL ADMISSION $120 $80 $60 $25

    Concert I: Oct. 21-23
    The Monterey Symphony gloriously opens its 71st season with Big Sur: The Night Sun, a commissioned orchestral work from local Emmy-winning composer John Wineglass, written for the Carmel Centennial Celebration in conjunction with the Big Sur Land Trust. Wineglass, a Washington D.C. native, lives today on California's spectacular Central Coast, 20 minutes from Point Lobos, one of the breathtaking locations he says inspired Big Sur: The Night Sun, which he characterizes as a "symphonic tone poem."

    Ludwig van Beethoven's magnificent concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello in C Major, Op. 56, the "Triple Concerto", will showcase the talents of three rising stars: Anna Petrova, piano; Rebecca Anderson, violin; and JeongHyoun Christine Lee, cello, in an exciting performance of the only concerto that Beethoven composed for more than one instrument.

    In a season that honors Shakespeare in Music, exactly 400 years after the great artist's death, the second suite from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet adds a moving and profound tone. This work utilizes some rarely used instruments in the orchestra, such as tenor saxophone and cornet, and concludes a colorful and riveting season opener!

    Pianist Anna Petrova, a native of Bulgaria, has been honored at numerous international competitions, including the José Roca (Valencia), Val Tidone (Italy) and Maria Yudina (St. Petersburg) Competitions, and was a semifinalist at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth International Piano Competition in Belgium in 2010, where she performed as soloist with the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia under Paul Goodwin.

    Violinist Rebecca Anderson is a versatile soloist and chamber musician whose recent performances range from solo appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, contemporary music premieres with A Far Cry and eighth blackbird, and collaborative projects with Questlove and Ben Folds. She has appeared as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony, Olympia Symphony, and Columbia Symphony orchestras, and in Europe with a recital concert at the Conservatorio de Bologna in Italy. Most recently, she was a first-prize winner at the 2013 American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition for senior division violin.

    Cellist JeongHyoun Christine Lee, a native of Seoul, Korea, has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Korean Broadcast Symphony Orchestra, and Calgary Symphony Orchestra, among others, and has served as the Co-Principal of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Lee has performed in Europe and Asia with Curtis on Tour and was recently featured as a Young Artist at Music from Angel Fire and a Caramoor Rising Star at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. She recently performed with Juilliard's contemporary ensemble, AXIOM, and has attended summer festivals such as the Taos School of Music, Encore, the Great Mountains Music Festival, Orford, and Hotchkiss Summer Portals. She has participated in Prussia Cove Master Classes with Ralph Kirshbaum and the Académie Musicale de Villecroze with Miklós Perényi.

    Preview Luncheon with Guest Artists
    Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 11:30 a.m.
    Glen Deven Ranch, Big Sur, CA
    $50/person
    Register at 831-646-8511 or www.montereysymphony.org/special-events

    Symphony of Flavors
    Pre-show soiree pairing local musicians with featured local wine, beer, and tasty bites included with concert ticket
    Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.

    Sunset Center Terrace
    Concert II: Nov. 18-20
    The Romantic music of Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn distinguish the Monterey Symphony's second concert of the season, opening with Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56 by Brahms, an elegant and well-orchestrated theme and variations on the popular "St. Anthony Chorale" featuring the Honors Orchestra of Youth Music Monterey County in their annual Side-by-Side Program appearance, playing onstage with Monterey Symphony mentors.

    This concert will also feature the Overture, Op. 21 and Incidental Music, Op. 61 from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with a burgeoning stage that highlights the local talents of singers Mary Young Bragado and Angelique Zuluaga, actors Michael Jacobs and Doug Toby, and community chorus I Cantori di Carmel, directed by Dr. Sal Ferrantelli. You will not want to miss this exciting and entertaining collaboration celebrating Shakespeare in Music!

    Mezzo-Soprano Mary Young Bragado, wife of the Monterey Symphony's Music Director Max Bragado-Darman grew up in Princeton New Jersey and graduated as a singer/choral conductor from the University of Michigan. She has directed numerous works throughout the U.S. and in Spain. She has sung in recital and with many choral groups in the U.S. and Europe. Including the prestigious University of Michigan Chamber Choir, the Kenneth Jewell Chorale in Detroit, and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.

    Soprano Angelique Zuluaga has performed opera, oratorio, and chamber music throughout the U.S. and South America and can be found frequently collaborating with composers in new works. Performance highlights include: soloist in Brahms' Requiem with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir; Handel's Ode to St. Cecilia with the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Zankel Hall under the direction of Ton Koopman; and soprano soloist with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas' St. Matthew Passion Brazilian tour under the direction of Kent Nagano.
    Actor Michael Jacobs received his B.A. from Whitman College, then went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts/West and became a member of the first graduating class in 1976. In New York, he studied at the Herbert Berghof Studios with Uta Hagen and Michael Beckett and in California he became a member of the Shakespeare Santa Cruz Company for 3 years, working and studying with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company from England. In 1987, he was cast in The Normal Heart at the GroveMont Theatre, which began a 27-year stint as actor-in-residence for what is now the Pacific Repertory Theatre.

    Doug Toby worked as an actor in the film industry for several years and appeared in a number of films and television shows such as Hill Street Blues, The Rockford Files, and the 1984 film Red Dawn. Doug has been involved with many amateur productions since relocating to Monterey County including the Renaissance Festival and the annual Mystery plays of the Friends of the Monterey Symphony.
    I Cantori di Carmel (Italian for The Singers of Carmel) conducted by Dr. Sal Ferrantelli, has been bringing choral classics to the Monterey Peninsula since 1981, performing concerts twice annually, in the spring and fall, at the Carmel Mission Basilica and at other venues throughout the year.

    Preview Luncheon with Guest Artists
    Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 11:30 a.m.
    Sardine Factory, Cannery Row in Monterey, CA
    $50/person
    Register at 831-646-8511 or www.montereysymphony.org/special-events

    Symphony of Flavors
    Pre-show soiree pairing local musicians with featured local wine, beer, and tasty bites included with concert ticket
    Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.
    Sunset Center Terrace
    Post-concert Supper Club with Guest Artists
    Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.
    Il Fornaio, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
    $70/person
    Register at 831-646-8511 or www.montereysymphony.org/special-events

    Concert III: Feb. 17-19
    The Monterey Symphony opens its third program of the season with one of Arturo Toscanini's favorite works: the Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The tragic story of Gaius Marcius Coriolanus - who unsuccessfully invaded Rome - was dramatized by both William Shakespeare and Viennese poet and author Heinrich Joseph von Collin.

    Acclaimed violinist Sergej Krylov will dazzle audiences with his exhilarating performance of the Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op.47 by Jean Sibelius, the only concerto composed by the brilliant Finnish composer. Rounding out this program will be the legendary Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90 by Johannes Brahms, an audience favorite that has thrilled listeners since it premiered in 1883. Do not miss this opportunity to hear three monuments of musical perfection!

    Sergej Krylov, born in Moscow, began playing violin at age 5 as the son of an outstanding violin maker, Alexander Krylov, and a famous Russian pianist and teacher, Liudmila Krylova. He performs with world-famous orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, and the Chamber Orchestra "Moscow Soloists," among others. He was lauded by late conductor Mstislav Rostropovich as "one of the top five contemporary violinists".

    Concert IV: March 17-19
    Bruno Aprea will guest conduct the Monterey Symphony for the fourth program of the season, featuring works by Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, and Bernstein. The fiery overture from Giuseppe Verdi's La Forza del Destino - or 'the force of destiny' - sets the tone for this musically broad and brilliant concert.

    Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's fantasy overture Romeo and Juliet and two movements from the dramatic symphony Romeo and Juliet ("Love Scene" and "Romeo Alone") by French composer Hector Berlioz, one of the greatest orchestrators of all time, amplify this performance of powerful and passionate themes. The Symphonic Dances from the ever-popular West Side Story by American composer Leonard Bernstein will conclude this rich and rousing concert.

    Bruno Aprea, former Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Palm Beach Opera, began his musical career as a pianist studying under his father, Tito Aprea, at the Conservatoire of S.Cecilia in Rome. He met with considerable success at a very young age, paving the way to a career on the international concert circuit and playing on numerous occasions with the Accademia di S.Cecilia Orchestra.
    He conducted at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, in a Gala evening with Mirella Freni and in a number of concerts at the Opera of Monte Carlo, including one in aid of Unesco, broadcast in Eurovision in 1979. In Italy he conducted all the main symphonic orchestras and toured in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania. In Israel, invited by Shlomo Mintz, he conducted the Israel Chamber Orchestra of Tel Aviv, in South Africa the SABC of Johannesburg, and in Brazil, invited by Eleazar de Carvalho, the Orquestra Sinfonica of Sao Paolo. He has also conducted the Philarmonia Hungarica, the Presidential Symphonic Orchestra of Ankara and the Bilbao Symphonic Orchestra.

    Concert V: April 21-23
    The fifth concert program in the Monterey Symphony's Season of Shakespeare opens with the demanding arias of Desdemona from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello, with guest coloratura soprano Cyndia Sieden. Included are the famous "Willow Song" and the "Ave Maria" from Act IV.
    Cyndia Sieden also appears in the monumental Symphony No. 4 in G Major by Gustav Mahler, one of his shorter symphonic works. Although the soprano is featured in the fourth and final movement only, this entire symphony was based on the song "The Heavenly Life," which he composed for an earlier song cycle titled Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Don't miss this chance to hear Mahler's magical symphony and highlights from one of Verdi's most mature roles in a spectacular Spring concert!

    Soprano Cyndia Sieden studied with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in master classes in Carmel Valley, CA in the early 1980s and has moved among the Baroque, classical, romantic and modern/contemporary repertoire at most of the world's great opera houses, including Munich's Bavarian State Opera, Paris' Opéra Bastille, Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, Brussels's La Monnaie, and London's Royal Opera House and English National Opera, as well as in Beijing and Australia. Her Metropolitan Opera debut was in the title role of Alban Berg's Lulu, and she returned there in 2008 for the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte. With a great sympathy for the works of Richard Strauss, she often performs Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (Munich, Japan, Vienna), Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (Paris Châtelet) and Aminta in Die schweigsame Frau (Palermo).

    Concert VI: May 19-21
    Come hear Michael Noble - winner of the prestigious Carmel Music Society Piano Competition in 2013 - perform Antonin Dvořák's Piano Concerto in G Minor, Op. 33 with the Monterey Symphony! Dvořák's violin and cello concertos receive ample stage presence, but the concerto for the piano is the most balanced of the three and a favorite of audiences and musicians alike.

    The season of Shakespeare in Music concludes with the overture from Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, a German Singspiel based on the infamous Shakespeare comedy, and Belgian composer César Franck's Symphony in D Minor, his most famous orchestral work. Make sure you do not miss this opportunity to hear an evening of beautiful, lively, and splendidly crafted music. Come close the 71st season of the Monterey Symphony in this concert programmed to delight fans of great classical music, live!

    Pianist Michael Noble gave his first recital when he was six and has gone on to perform concerts across Europe, Asia, and North America. In addition to winning the Carmel Music Society competition in 2013, he was also the first-prize winner in the Crescendo Music Awards (Tulsa, OK) in 2009, and is a two-time laureate of the Chopin International Competition of the 1,000 Islands. He is a graduate of Idyllwild (Calif.) Arts Academy where he was awarded the Outstanding Musician Award of 2005-2006. In 2008, he attended the Paris Conservatoire to work with Nicholas Angelich, and made his debut with the Tulsa Symphony in 2011.

    CHAMBER CONCERT SERIES:
    Tickets
    Single Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by phone at 831-646-8511 or online at www.montereysymphony.org. Tickets will also be sold 90 minutes before show time at the venue.

    General admission tickets for concerts at All Saints' Episcopal Church (Dolores & Ninth Ave, Carmel) are priced at $25 for general admission and $10 for students and active military.

    General admission tickets for concerts at the Sunset Center (San Carlos at Ninth Avenue, Carmel) are priced at $50 for Premium Seating and $25 for general admission.

    CHAMBER CONCERT PROGRAM 1 - CHAMBER MUSIC WITH CLARINET
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Carmel
    October 7, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

    The first program in the Monterey Symphony's 2016/17 Chamber Series will feature the clarinet, including works by Kokai, Debussy, and Brahms. The music on this program may not often be heard, but it will be masterfully presented by musicians from the orchestra, including Concertmaster Christina Mok, violin; Steve Sanchez, clarinet; Tina Minn, violin; Chad Kaltinger, viola; and Drew Ford, cello.

    CHAMBER CONCERT PROGRAM 2 - MYRIAD FACES OF RUSSIA
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Carmel
    October 18, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

    Presented as a part of the ICONS in Transformation International Contemporary Art Exhibit at All Saint's Episcopal Church that runs from September 25 - November 20, 2016. An exhibition of contemporary art and traditional icons with 130 selects pieces by Russian-born artist, Ludmila Pawlowska.

    This all-Russian program presented by our October concert Guest Artists: Anna Petrova, piano; Rebecca Anderson, violin; and JeongHyoun Christine Lee, cello; will feature composers from around the turn of the twentieth century - Arensky, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev. Stravinksy's Suite Italienne is an arrangement of music from his ballet Pulcinella for cello and piano, and the deep and dark Prokofiev Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano was composed for friends lost during the Stalin regime. The Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor by Arensky may not be well-known, but it is a highlight of the program!

    CHAMBER CONCERT PROGRAM 3 - CHRISTMAS POTPOURRI
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Carmel
    December 8, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

    This delightful program features concertos, sonatas, interludes and tangos! Corelli's "Christmas Concerto" and Bach's Brandenburg No. 5 highlight this concert program that parries itself with the Hampton String Quartet's Mozartian rendition of holiday favorites. Do not miss this performance of passionate players including guest artist Michael Peterson, harpsichord, and Monterey Symphony musicians including Dawn Walker, flute; Concertmaster Christina Mok, violin; Jessica Poll, violin; Chad Kaltinger, viola; Isaac Pastor-Chermak, cello; and Bruce Moyer, bass, in a concert that will also include works by Ibert, Leclaire, and Piazzolla.

    CHAMBER CONCERT PROGRAM 4 -
    CURTIS ON TOUR: CURTIS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
    Sunset Center, Carmel
    January 13, 2017 at 8:00 p.m & January 14, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.

    Presented in cooperation with the Sunset Center.

    CURTIS ON TOUR: CURTIS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA - the Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music
    Do not miss this special treat to hear some of America's greatest young musicians from the renowned Curtis Institute of Music! Featured will be legendary violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi and violist and Curtis president Roberto Diaz, along with five outstanding violin students performing Mozart's five violin concertos - a truly unique and profoundly musical event!

    Max Bradago-Darman, Music Director and Conductor of Monterey Symphony
    Max Bragado-Darman has served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Monterey Symphony since July 2004. Mr. Bragado-Darman was Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Castile and León in Valladolid, Spain, for nine years. From its formation in 1991, he built it into one of the most prestigious orchestras in Spain. Under his direction, the orchestra performed for enthusiastic audiences in all the major cities of Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Germany. He recorded with this ensemble many unknown works of the Spanish repertoire as well as most of the orchestral works of Turina and Rodrigo on the Naxos label.

    In May 1995, Max Bragado-Darman was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra. Under his direction, the orchestra grew in popularity due to his rapport with audiences, the community in general, and his innovative programming. He has worked with distinguished artists such as Alicia de Larrocha, Teresa Berganza, Horacio Gutièrrez, Elmar Oliveira, Dubravka Tomsic, Andre Watts, Angel Romero, Gary Graffman, and Aaron Rosand among many others.

    As a guest conductor, Max Bragado-Darman has performed in the United States with the symphony orchestras of Honolulu, San Diego, Nashville, Delaware, West Virginia, Cedar Rapids, Savannah, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Austin, Fresno, and Boulder. He has led the National Orchestra, the Radio Television Orchestra and most other orchestras of Spain, as well as orchestras in Portugal, England, Argentina, Germany, and Mexico. In the fall of 2003, he made his debut at the distinguished Wexford Opera Festival with the Granados opera "Maria del Carmen," in a version he researched and edited himself.

    His conducting career has been guided by the knowledge he received from teachers and musicians such as Robert Fountain, Robert Baustian, George Szell, Igor Markevich and Franco Ferrara. Most recently, Max Bragado-Darman has appeared on the podiums of orchestras in Monterrey, Mexico and Mexico City. In the spring of 2009, in the heart of Andalucia he took on the challenge of presenting a fusion of flamenco and classical music featuring a pianist, guitarist, dancer, and full symphony orchestra. He has been the conductor for the prestigious "Iturbi Piano Competition" in Valencia, Spain for the last two editions.

    Max and Mary Bragado have two children: Julio who was formerly a dancer with The American Ballet Theatre and is now studying acting in New York City, and Ilia who teaches dance in Valladolid, Spain and is married to José Manuel Concejo. They have two grandsons, 7 year old Max and 5 year old Alejandro. Both grandchildren are enchanted with their "Abuelito" and "Granny."

    The mission of the Monterey Symphony is to engage, educate and excite our community through the performance and continual discovery of symphonic music.

    The Monterey Symphony, under the artistic leadership of Music Director & Conductor Max Bragado-Darman, is the only fully professional, full-season orchestra serving the communities of the Monterey Bay, Salinas, Salinas Valley, Big Sur, and San Benito County. It provides triple performances of a six-concert subscription series at Carmel's Sunset Theater and Salinas's Sherwood Hall, as well as youth education programs that include visits to classrooms by musicians and culminate in full-orchestra concerts for school children.

    The Monterey Symphony is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation, supported in part through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Monterey Symphony, and through grants from The Arts Council of Monterey County, The Berkshire Foundation, The Buffet Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, The Community Foundation for Monterey County, Frisone Family Foundation, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, The Harden Foundation, The Todd Lueders Fund for the Arts of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, The Monterey County Weekly Community Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, The Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Music Performance Trust Fund, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Pebble Beach Company Foundation, The Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, Samson Foundation, The Robert and Virginia Stanton Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, Warren and Katharine Schlinger Foundation, Alexander F. Victor Foundation, and many other generous foundations and individual donors.

    For additional information, please call 831-646-8511 or visit our web site: www.montereysymphony.org.

    Contact:
    Marci Bracco Cain
    Chatterbox PR
    Salinas, CA 93901
    (831) 747-7455
    http://www.montereysymphony.org

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