Announcing the 2023 Season
Sunset Music and Arts is thrilled to announce the programs for our 2023 season. Our season runs from January through December, 2023. The 2023 season will feature artists from throughout the Bay Area, as well as national and international artists. We have several artists returning to our 2023 Season (The SF Girls Chorus, pianist Eric Tran, organist Angela Kraft Cross, guitarist Lyle Sheffler, Amy Stephens Jazz Quartet, violinist Patrick Galvin, and others). We are also pleased to welcome twelve new artists to the 2023 season roster. You can view the entire 2023 season calendar here.
We look forward to welcoming you at one or more of our concerts in the near future.
Sunset Music and Arts – Incarnation Episcopal Church
Health and Safety – Masks are optional (updated: 2/27/2023)
In accordance with the recommended health and safety recommended guidelines from the City and County of San Francisco, the Episcopal Diocese of California, masking is now optional but highly recommended. We strive to make the concerts a safe place for everyone.
April
Olson/De Cari Duo
Friday April 14, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Program:
- Eve’s Diary by David Leisner (b. 1953); text by Mark Twain (1835-1910)
- Three Jobim Songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927–1994), arranged by João Luiz (b. 1979)
- What God Looks Like: Three Stories by Benjamin Verdery (b. 1955)
- Archimedes by Andrew York (b. 1958)
- From Five Intimate Theatre Songs arranged by Clarice Assad (b. 1978)
The Olson/De Cari Duo, a husband-and-wife ensemble, is dedicated to expanding the repertoire for classical guitar and voice. Their innovative repertoire includes many pieces written for them, including compositions from their Science/Music Commissioning Project, which seeks to celebrate the science-informed worldview and illuminate the human side of science through song, with the most recent commission being Archimedes by Andrew York. “The Olson/De Cari Duo straddle science and art gloriously” (Science Friday). Their latest album, Eve’s Diary, features new compositions and arrangements commissioned by the Duo, including a song cycle by David Leisner, arrangements of Jobim songs by João Luiz, and arrangements of theatre songs by Clarice Assad, together with a science-themed commission by the late Frank Wallace on texts by Nobel Laureate scientist and poet Roald Hoffmann. Sparked by the challenges to live performance posed by the pandemic, the Duo has recently forged new paths in classical music videography, creating an inventive music video series in narrative style. OlsonDeCariDuo.com
The Duo’s unique approach draws on the hybrid nature of Gioia and John’s backgrounds and expertise. Gioia De Cari is an award-winning writer, actor and singer and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity, and the Dramatists Guild of America. She holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Gioia’s critically-acclaimed play Truth Values, on themes of belonging for women in the male-dominated world of mathematics and science, has been presented at more than 50 venues across the United States, including the La Jolla Playhouse, the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and Ensemble Studio Theatre. GioiaDeCari.com.
John Olson has performed with a variety of New York–based ensembles, including the Brooklyn Guitar Quartet and the Contemporanea Guitar Duo. Since 2007 he has served as President of the New York City Classical Guitar Society, revitalizing the organization and making it a thriving and central part of the city’s guitar community. He served as a member of the Guitar Foundation of America Board of Directors for six years, and has directed the Ben Verdery Maui Master Class since 2013. He received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. JohnOlsonGuitar.com.
An evening with pianist Julieta Iglesias
Saturday April 15, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Program: An evening of music by Astor Piazzolla
- Invierno Porteño
- Verano Porteño
- Otoño Porteño
- Primavera Porteña
- Milonga del Angel
- La muerte del Angel
- Resurreción del Angel
- Decarisimo
- Retrato de Alfredo Gobbi
- Chau Paris
- Los Pájaros Perdidos
- Chiquilín de Bachín
- Adiós Nonino
Julieta Iglesias was born in 1985 in Buenos Aires. She started her piano studies in 1995 at the “Alberto Williams” Conservatoire. In 2001 she received the ‘Lía Cimaglia Espinosa’ scholarship and the Santa Cecilia Medal. Since then, she has been performing in important halls in Argentina, Spain, Germany, France, Holland, U.K., Poland, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland and Hungary. Julieta graduated from the ‘Instituto Universitario Nacional del Arte’ where she studied under the guidance of Professor Aldo Antognazzi. She also taught Piano for two years at the same institution. In 2017 she got a Bachelor of Musical Education from ‘Conservatorio Superior de Musica de la Ciudad de Bs. As. Astor Piazzolla’.
Julieta has been working with many contemporary composers. In 2010, she gave the Première of the piano works by Mauro de María and also released Volume 1 of de María’s music, to critical acclaim, and in 2012 she gave the Premiere of Vol. II. In 2014 Julieta embarked on a tour around Europe, supported by the Argentine Government, releasing her first album with classical musical and tango. After that, she was invited to participate in the ’15 th Festival Por los caminos del vino’ in Mendoza, Argentina. In her last tour, in 2016, Julieta pomoted her new album: ‘Obras para piano: Bach, Chopin, Ravel, Guastavino, Golijov, Ginastera’.
During 2020 she recorded two EP’s: ‘Piano in Quarantine’ and ‘My Homages’, and one album, ‘Londoner’. In 2021 she released ‘Simply Classical’ and her first classical fusion work, ‘Londres suena a Serú’, which contains piano arrangements on songs by a very popular Argentine band of the 80’s.
San Francisco Girls Chorus Level III – Terry Alvord, Director
Friday April 28, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Program: To be announced
Praised by Gramophone Magazine as a “remarkable tapestry of teenage voices,” the five-time GRAMMY Award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) is recognized as one of the world’s leading youth vocal ensembles. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe, SFGC presents subscription performances throughout the Bay Area and regularly performs both nationally and internationally as a cultural ambassador for San Francisco. SFGC is a frequent collaborator with leading arts organizations such as Kronos Quartet, San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera, as well as numerous world-renowned guest artists.
In addition to its Premier Ensemble, the San Francisco Chorus School is renowned as a regional center for choral music education and performance for girls and young women ages 4-18. Through its innovative Online Learning Program, SFGC has utilized technology to keep its hundreds of choristers engaged and advancing in their musical activities and performing live together from their own homes.
Level III of the San Francisco Girls Chorus School is an ensemble of singers generally between the ages of 10-13. Throughout each season, they learn and perform a varied repertoire of classical, contemporary, and multilingual folk songs from multiple musical eras. In recent years, Level III has performed with other local organizations such as the SF Opera and Opera Parallèle, as well as in the community at schools across San Francisco and the East Bay.
The Soloist Intensive program is a select cohort of soloists that are part of SFGC’s GRAMMY Award Winning Premier Ensemble. Singers strengthen their performance experience, vocal technique, stage presence, diction and language skills through an individualized program of private voice lessons; projects that build organization, communication, and professionalism; masterclasses; auditions; and performances, often in collaboration with world class professional singers. Many Soloists go on to pursue vocal performance in universities and conservatories, and all receive college prep and advising as a part of the program.
Terry Alvord, Level III Director
Terry Alvord, a mezzo soprano and conductor, has conducted the San Francisco Symphony Chorus in rehearsals of Brahms’ Requiem and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, and has conducted the San Francisco Conservatory’s chamber vocal ensemble, assisting Maestro Ragnar Bohlin. She has also been one of four assistant conductors for the San Francisco Symphony’s Community of Music Makers “Sing Out Davies” program since its inception in 2011.
For the 2015-2016 season, Ms. Alvord was the interim artistic director for Resound Ensemble, a 50 member mixed voice choir based in San Francisco. Last summer, Ms. Alvord was a featured conductor in a program of sacred music in Sarteano, Italy. She is currently music director at Trinity United Methodist Church in Berkeley.
In addition to conducting, Ms. Alvord is an active soloist and choral singer. She has appeared as soloist in James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross with the Berkeley Symphony and with many other groups in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Bach’s Magnificat. Ms. Alvord has sung with many Bay Area opera companies in roles such as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Siebel in Faust, and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel. She has been a professional member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus since 2000, and has also sung with San Francisco Opera Chorus and Philharmonia Baroque Chorale.
Eric Tran in recital
Saturday April 29, 2023 at 4 p.m.
Program:
- Ravel: Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn
- Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
- Ravel: (Valse) à la manière de… Borodine
- Ravel: Jeux d’eau
- Tran: Premiere of New Work—TBD
- Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
Named a Gilmore Festival Fellow, pianist-composer Eric Tran has performed in Italy, Korea, China, Canada, and in over 20 states in the United States. He has appeared in music festivals such as PianoTexas, Aspen, Art of the Piano, Gilmore, and Chautauqua. His principal studies were with pianists Sharon Mann, Thomas Schultz, and Christopher Taylor; and with composers Jaroslaw Kapuscinski and Laura Schwendinger.
Eric is a graduate of Stanford University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Mead Witter School of Music. During his studies, he was the winner of the concerto competitions of all three institutions, and he was awarded the prestigious Robert M. Golden Medal for outstanding contributions to the arts. He has won awards from the Wideman Piano Competition and the American Prize, and has been invited to compete at the US Chopin National and Virginia Waring International Competitions. As a composer, he won the Pacific Musical Society Composition Prize, and his sets of children’s music have been programmed for eight years on the syllabus of the US Open Music Competition. His music has been performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet and the Friction Quartet, and his debut album, Water, was supported by Stanford University’s Young Alumni Arts Grant.
May
An Evening of New Music with Composer Davide Verotta
Saturday May 6, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Program: All works are San Francisco premieres composed by Davide Verotta
- Tsure, based on an ancient Noh theater tale (The Haruka Fujii Trio: Haruka Fujii, marimba, Beni Shinohara, violin, Ray Furuta, flute)
- Tsure Goes to the Beach, its light-hearted companion (Haruka Fujii, marimba)
- Summoning in Vain, an invocation (Sharon Wayne, guitar, Martha Rodriguez-Salazar, flute)
- Deep Blue, Vermillion, and Ivy Gold, where a slightly mad faun has a vision, reconsiders, and dances (Monika Gruber, violin, Davide Verotta, piano)
- Sulle Aridi Pendici, inspired by “La Ginestra,” a poem written by Giacomo Leopardi in 1836 (Martha Rodriguez-Salazar, flute, Jennifer Peringer, piano)
- String Quartet No. 10 (The Cecilia Ensemble: Maki Ishii Sowash, violin, Michael Long, violin, Paul Ehrlich, viola, Victoria Ehrlich, cello).
Classical Music is alive! Join composer Davide Verotta and some of the finest players in the Bay Area in a multi-faceted evening dedicated to new music. On the program: Tsure, based on an ancient Noh theater tale (The Haruka Fujii Trio: Haruka Fujii, marimba, Beni Shinohara, violin, Ray Furuta, flute), and Tsure Goes to the Beach, its light-hearted companion (Haruka Fujii, marimba); Summoning in Vain, an invocation (Sharon Wayne, guitar, Martha Rodriguez-Salazar, flute); Deep Blue, Vermillion, and Ivy Gold, where a slightly mad faun has a vision, reconsiders, and dances (Monika Gruber, violin, Davide Verotta, piano); Sulle Aridi Pendici, inspired by “La Ginestra,” a poem written by Giacomo Leopardi in 1836 (Martha Rodriguez-Salazar, flute, Jennifer Peringer, piano); and String Quartet No. 10 (The Cecilia Ensemble: Maki Ishii Sowash, violin, Michael Long, violin, Paul Ehrlich, viola, Victoria Ehrlich, cello). All works are San Francisco premieres composed by Davide Verotta
Davide Verotta was born in an Italian town close to Milano and moved to San Francisco as an eager twenty-six-year-old. A professor at UCSF in biomathematics and statistics (gasp) for thirty years, he has been actively involved in the SF new music scene for a good twenty, and eventually left math behind to concentrate exclusively on composing. He studied piano at the Milano conservatory ages ago. Composition is more recent, with studies at SFSU, where he earned an MA, and UC Davis. Davide teaches piano and composition privately and at the Community Music Center in SF. He has received numerous local commissions, international competition prizes, and composition grants. For more information, please visit his web site at http://www.davideverotta.com
San Francisco Youth Chorus Concert
Online Ticketing: Tickets are donation based with a suggested amount of $15-35.00 dollars per family. They can be bought in advance via PayPal at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/GATESFYC or you can pay via cash, QR Code, or check, at the door.
Program: Join SFYC in this musical sendoff, as they embark upon their Spring tour to the Anaheim Heritage Choral Festival and Disneyland Performing Arts in March! From Handel to the Beatles, this concert features an eclectic program of Jazz, Musical Theater, Classical and World Music. This concert is fun for the whole family, so don’t miss out on sending SFYC off in style!
SFYC, founded in 2015 by Artistic Director Katherine Gerber, advances the musicianship of children ages 4 and up, in grades PreK-9, in San Francisco, California. Sponsored by Great Adventures Through Education, the after-school chorus of nearly 150 youngsters, across several ensembles, rehearses weekly, August-May, and performs several times throughout the season across California.
Community Music & Arts Events
We are also excited about launching our, “Sunset Community Music | Arts” initiative, where you can enjoy mostly free (occasionally, donations or a small fee may be requested) concerts and programs, produced and performed by members of the local community. If you are interested in performing as part of this program, please contact us at 415.564.2324 or e-mail us at sunsetmusicarts@gmail.com.
Sing with Sally: Find your voice and keep it!
- Date & Time: Tuesday April 11 and Saturday April 15 at 10:30 a.m. (duration 1 hour)
- Venue: Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1750 29th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
- Admission is free. To sign up please register here.
Program Details: Anyone, no matter their vocal ability or experience, can improve their understanding of the voice and experience the pleasure of singing with others. The music we will sing comes from many traditions, including folk songs, show tunes, and popular music. These classes will help to develop your vocal and breathing techniques, build ensemble skills, practice rhythms, and leave with the tools to continue developing their skills into the future.
We will meet monthly to learn music and sing together. We currently have the following dates planned.
- Tuesday April 11, 10:30 a.m.
- Saturday April 15, 10:30 a.m.
We also rehearse on Tuesday mornings (focused primarily on sacred music). If you are interested in the Tuesday class, please send an email to incarnationsf@gmail.com. Otherwise please register at the link below.
Please join us! Admission is free. To sign up please register here.
Sally Porter Munro (mezzo-soprano) is a native of London, England and a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England. While living in England she sang with the English National Opera, Royal Opera de la Monnaie in Brussels, and as an oratorio soloist in Europe. She also performed with the BBC Singers on radio and television. She relocated to New York City to continue her studies. Since moving to San Francisco, Ms. Munro has sung as a soloist with Pocket Opera, Berkeley Opera, North Bay Opera, San Francisco Lyric Opera, and Lake Tahoe Festival. Ms. Munro has performed as a soloist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Russian Chamber Orchestra, Master Works Chorale, the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. She is a full time member of The San Francisco Opera Chorus and has covered and sung a number of small roles. Ms. Munro teaches singing and the Alexander Technique and was a faculty member of the San Francisco Girls’ Chorus for twenty years. Since four years, she has been a faculty member of The Young Women’s Choral Project.
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