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Recent Reviews
- Monterey Symphony presents pianist Orion Weiss In Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
- Pianist Orion Weiss Opens Carmel Music Society’s New Season
- A Grand Leisure: Pianist Yekwon Sunwoo in Recital
- Santa Cruz Symphony — Music of the Spheres
- Miró Quartet – Ensemble playing at its best
- David Gordon Spins Magic in the Forest
- Restrained Fires: Symphony Silicon Valley Opening Night
- Organ Concert at St. Dunstan’s
- Pianist Hans Boepple in Carmel Home Concert
- Nostalgia and Bells: Sean Chen Opens Steinway Society Season
- Aptos Keyboard Series – Pianist Yoonie Han in a Home Recital
- Baritone Peter Tuff & Pianist Lucy Faridany in Recital at All Saints Church
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Recent Previews
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List by Category
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Pianist Orion Weiss Opens Carmel Music Society’s New Season
Yesterday afternoon pianist Orion Weiss opened the Carmel Music Society’s 2017-2018 season with an absorbing and tremendously satisfying piano recital. It was not so much his virtuosity that impressed us, but rather that his playing was so natural and inevitable that his virtuosity totally served the music, brought out the best in it, and in the process took us on an amazing journey. Read full story
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, Carmel Music Society, Piano, Romantic Era
“Folk and Barolk” — An Experience of Joy, Beauty and Energy.
This was an evening of Irish folk music seamlessly woven in with works by J.S. Bach, Torelli, and ultimately, Vivaldi. We heard lush orchestral performances as well as brilliant individual virtuosity in instrumental and vocal music. Let me state up front that I am a huge fan of violinist Edwin Huizinga and guitarist Coulter. I discovered I was not alone, for Sunset Theater was filled with adoring fans on Thursday night for good reason. As expected, Huizinga and Coulter performed brilliantly together, and they were matched by fine performances from soprano, Molly Quinn. Filling out the ensemble were a group of highly skilled musicians including violinists, Johanna Novom, Adrienne Post, and Joseph Tan; Violists Sarah Darling and Kyle Miller; cellist, Ezra Seltzer, bassist Jordan Frazier, Harpsichordist Dongsok Shin and flutist Rachel Carlson. Read full story
Archived in these categories: 20th Century, Carmel Music Society, Chamber music
Finckel, Han & Setzer play Beethoven Piano Trios for the Carmel Music Society
On Sunday, April 9, at 3:00 pm at Sunset Center, the Carmel Music Society presented three of America’s most exciting chamber musicians — David Finckel, cello, Wu Han, piano, and Philip Setzer, violin — in the second of two concerts featuring the complete Beethoven Piano Trios. The program was:
- Piano Trio in G Major, Op. 1, No. 2
- Piano Trio in E flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2
- Piano Trio in B flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke”
Approaching this concert, my initial feeling was that for me (and probably most of the audience at Sunset Center), yes, it was nice that we were going to hear two Beethoven Piano Trios that are less often performed, but the work I was really going to enjoy the most would be that great classic among piano trios, the famed “Archduke Trio” in B-flat Major, Opus 97. Read full story
Archived in these categories: Carmel Music Society, Classical Era, Piano trio
Pianist Jean-Philippe Collard Plays Schumann & Chopin at Sunset Center
Does the life of a famous concert pianist seem glamorous? Well, the reality is that although he was booked for the Carmel Music Society two years ago, his management, Seldy Cramer Artists of San Francisco, was unable to arrange for any other west coast appearances. Thus, Mr. Collard, in coming to perform for the Carmel Music Society on Sunday afternoon, was executing what is called in the artists management business, a “run out” — not one in a series of well planned, coordinated concerts in relatively close proximity, but a single concert, often with long travel distances involved. Read full story
Archived in these categories: Carmel Music Society, Piano, Romantic Era
2016 Carmel Music Society Piano Competition Winner Man-Ling Bai
It was virtually a full house yesterday afternoon when Man-Ling Bai, the Carmel Music Society’s 2016 Piano Competition winner, returned to Sunset Center to play a full recital as a part of the Grand Prize award she received the previous year. The ground floor orchestra seats were packed, the balcony was almost half full, and the ushers ran out of printed programs and were asking the last arriving people to share programs. It was a lively and unusual audience with many young piano students and new people we do not usually see at CMS concerts. If filling the seats and attracting a new audience is one of the most important goals of any presenting society, then this concert was a very special success indeed. Read full story
Archived in these categories: 21st Century, Carmel Music Society, Competition, Piano, Romantic Era
