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Recent Reviews
- Monterey Symphony — Sound Waves, Third Concert
- Yoel Levi Conducts Israel Philharmonic in Miami
- Pianist Nikolai Lugansky
- Carmel Trio in Aptos
- Brentano Quartet & Pianist Yekwon Sunwoo at Sunset Center
- Ensemble Monterey at St. Philips Lutheran Church
- Santa Cruz Symphony: Enlightenment
- Chamber Music Monterey Bay — Borromeo String Quartet with Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman
- The Grand Line: Symphony Silicon Valley
- Pianist Kate Liu performs for Aptos Keyboard Series
- Kevin Lee Sun — Winner of the 2018 Carmel Music Society Piano Competition
- Steely Spectrum: A Recital by Pianist Kate Liu
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Recent Previews
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List by Category
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Author Archives: James Neiman
Youth Music Monterey County (YMMC) Presents Eclectic Delight
Cello Soloist Katrina Yang Bauer & Conductor Farkhad Khudyev
On a beautiful and warm Sunday afternoon, November 4, Sunset Center was filled to capacity with enthusiastic friends and supporters of YMMC, which is a 501c3 organization that has provided high-caliber music education and ensemble-playing opportunities for young people throughout Monterey County for many years. Music Director and Conductor Farkhad Khudyev led YMMC’s Junior Youth and Honors Orchestras in this special 30th anniversary event, which lived up to the organization’s goal of enriching the lives of students and their communities and facilitating greater appreciation of music through preparing and sharing superior music performances. Read full story
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, Chamber Music Monterey Bay, Orchestral
Carmel Bach Festival 2018 — Eight Seasons
On Monday, July 16, the Carmel music community enjoyed two beautiful and contrasting performances of the Four Seasons at Sunset Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The first half of the program was Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and the second half was Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Under the leadership of concertmaster and director Peter Hanson, members of the Festival Orchestra presented a fascinating and ultra-clear characterization of nature, elements and people. Read full story
Archived in these categories: Carmel Bach Festival, Orchestral, Strings
Carmel Bach Festival 2018 — St. Matthew Passion
On Sunday, July 15, the Carmel music community was treated to a stunning performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Carmel’s Sunset Center. Under the direction of conductor Paul Goodwin, the performance on period instruments drew the listener into an authentic celebration of the Passion of Jesus Christ, according to Matthew 26 and 27. Bach worked closely with Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander) in framing the biblical text with commentary and contemplative prayer. They also collaborated in an effort to restructure the biblical account. The first part of the performance ended at Christ’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the second part continued through the traditional remainder of the Passion, ending with the burial of Jesus. Since aim of the composer was to “incite the listeners to devotion” according to his contract with the Leipzig Town Council, the composition was written so as to be appropriate for a Good Friday mass, during which it was premiered in 1727. Last evening’s performance certainly proved that Bach achieved his goals with this work. Read full story
Archived in these categories: Baroque, Carmel Bach Festival
Emil & Nozomi Khudyev in Recital
On Monday, July 2, 2018 Hidden Valley Music Seminars presented an extraordinary family of artists. The Khudyev family, who emigrated to the US from Turkmenistan, has produced a generation of Soviet trained and USA educated master musicians, several of whom gathered Monday night to perform works for clarinet, violin and piano. Emil Khudyev is Associate Principal Clarinetist for the Seattle Symphony, and he was joined on stage by his wife, Nozomi Khudyev, an extraordinary pianist from Japan and a graduate of the Juilliard School, as well as his brother and violinist Farkhad Khudyev, who currently serves as Music Director of the Hidden Valley Orchestra Institute and Youth Music Monterey County. Read full story
Archived in these categories: Chamber music
Carmel Music Society Presents Pianist Jeremy Denk
Our music community was treated to an evening of Mozart, Prokofiev, Beethoven and Schubert by internationally renowned pianist Jeremy Denk. Mr. Denk is an artist of rare depth and sensitivity, and his breathtaking performance closed off another great season for the Carmel Music Society. In his remarks during the performance, Mr. Denk suggested that time and its role in accentuating the compositional structure and interpretation is a theme of artistic interest, and drew, through his exquisite interpretation, lines through all the works leading to Schubert’s masterpiece, his Sonata in B-flat Major, D.960. Read full story
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, Carmel Music Society, Classical Era, Piano, Romantic Era
