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Recent Reviews
- Monterey Peninsula College Orchestra — Spring Concert
- Monterey Symphony ends its 2018-2019 Season
- Gallery Showings by Lucas Blok and Mel Prest
- Monterey Peninsula Voices
- Camerata Singers — Wrapped in Song
- YMMC – Love Side Stories
- YMMC Woodwinds & Brass Ensembles Benefit Concert
- I Cantori di Carmel: Expressions of the Heart
- Brahms in Rome
- Color Schemes: Symphony Silicon Valley review
- Pianist Misuzu Tanaka performs for Aptos Keyboard Series
- Carmel Music Society presents guitarist Manuel Barrueco
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Recent Previews
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List by Category
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YMMC Woodwinds & Brass Ensembles Benefit Concert
Elias Osorio & Bennett Bishop
On Friday evening, May 10, at Hidden Valley Seminars in Carmel Valley, Youth Music Monterey County (YMMC) presented a concert by Woodwind & Brass Ensembles. It was very inspiring to see these young musicians coming together to perform a wide variety of music, most of which is totally unfamiliar, unless you are a brass or woodwind player, of course. In a society where so many young high school students’ free time is dominated by various sporting activities, it is indeed gratifying to also see the fruits of many hours, spent not on the playing fields, but in practice rooms developing musical skills that often reached a very high professional level.
Read full story
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, Baroque, Brass, Woodwinds
Christmas with Camerata Singers
A lovely afternoon at the First Presbyterian Church of Monterey was the setting as the brass players warmed up, the Church began to fill, amidst the anticipatory hubbub of audience members greeting each other and reading over the printed program of Christmas With the Camerata Singers. Under the direction of John Koza, Artistic Director and Conductor, these singers presented a program filled with old texts and new settings and rhythms. Mixed meters and syncopation dominated many selections. Ably accompanied by Organist Tiffany Bedner and a Brass Quintet, the singers rose to the rhythmic as well as dynamic demands. Read full story
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, Baroque, Brass, Choral, Classical Era
YMMC — Discovery of Central Asia
Justin Khoi Vu & the Junior Youth Orchestra
It was a full house at Sunset Center Sunday afternoon as Youth Music Monterey County with conductor Farkhad Khudyev presented its final concert of the 2014-2015 season.The concert was titled “Discovery of Central Asia” and was dedicated to the hard working, committed music teachers who prepare and inspire the young musicians making up the Youth and Honors orchestras.
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, 21st Century, Brass, Chamber music, Concerto, Orchestral, Youth Music Monterey
Carmel Bach Festival 2014 — Opening Night at Sunset Center
Soprano Clara Rottsolk, counter tenor Robin Blaze, tenor Arron Sheehan, Maestro Paul Goodwin and composer Caroline Shaw
(Peninsula Reviews photo prohibited by Carmel Bach Festival)
On Saturday evening, July 19, at Sunset Center we enjoyed the opening concert of the 2014 Carmel Bach Festival. Instead of a chilly foggy evening, it was warm and balmy, David Gordon gave one of his charming pre-concert lectures, the brass ensemble on the upper terrace was appropriately festive, the concert was spiritually uplifting, and we had an elegant post-concert reception courtesy of Alaska Airlines to which the entire audience and festival musicians were invited. It begs the question, how could it get any better?
Maestro Paul Goodwin, associate conductor Andrew Megill and assistant conductor John Koza were responsible for delivering opening night fine performances by the festival musicians featuring the festival orchestra, chorale and chorus, plus the evening’s soloists sopranos Dominique Labelle and Clara Rottsolk, countertenor Robin Blaze, tenor Aaron Sheehan and baritone Peter Harvey.
Archived in these categories: 21st Century, Baroque, Brass, Carmel Bach Festival, Choral, Oboe, Orchestral, Strings, Woodwinds
Cabrillo College Band & Symphonic Winds — New Work by Heather Morris
Composer Heather Morris
There is nothing like the sound of a concert band. Not that I have anything against the full orchestra timbre, but the sound that come from the combined brass, woodwinds and percussion (minus the strings) is inherently festive and rousing. Such was the case for Cabrillo College’s Concert Band and Symphonic Winds on Sunday, May 4, under the direction of instructor Jon Nordgren. Along with familiar works by Mozart and John Phillips Sousa, the program spotlighted an outstanding ensemble of percussionists in Vaclav Nehybel’s Festivo. More percussive virtuosity followed, featuring Paul Kuhn, in Variations on a tune for Tympani by Maurice Garner. Into the Storm by Robert Smith was expertly conducted by assistant conductor Nicholas Marinovich.
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, 21st Century, Brass, Cabrillo College, Romantic Era, Vocal ensemble, Woodwinds
