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.
June
Alex Conde – Jazz Flamenco
Program: Spanish virtuoso pianist Alex Conde presents ”jazz and flamenco” solo piano concert full of energy and sensitivity. The program will feature a repertory of original compositions and arrangements of T Monk and B. Powell music in Latin Jazz Clave.
Alex Conde is a foremost exponent of piano flamenco and jazz fusion. Born in Spain, he graduated from the Jose Iturbi Conservatory, then at Berklee and in 2016 received his masters in jazz at CUNY, in New York. After spending 15 years in the USA, he has performed in venues such as Blue Note NY, Kimmel Center Philadelphia, San Jose Jazz Festival or Beantown Jazz Festival among many others. Mr Conde has written music for the Oakland Youth Orchestra and Miami Chamber Orchestra among others. A virtuoso pianist with roots in flamenco, latin and jazz music.
Flamenco music, with its passionate flourishes and virtuosic improvisation, has long captivated jazz musicians. Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Chick Corea have all been obsessed with flamenco. Pianist Alex Conde has emerged as one of the most versatile contemporary performers of jazz-flamenco fusion, dazzling audiences and earning rave reviews across the world.
Conde delivered these performances on the heels of recording his fourth album, “Origins” (2018, Ropeadope) with Marcus Gilmore on drums, Luques Curtis on bass, Dayna Stephens on saxophone, Brian Lynch on trumpet, Conrad Herwig on trombone, John Benitez on electric bass, and gypsy singer Ismael Fernandez.
These performances are a mere handful among hundreds in a career that began in Conde’s childhood in Valencia, Spain. A recognized prodigy, Conde demonstrated perfect pitch at the age of four. His parents gave him his first keyboard, and encouraged him as he began taking formal piano instruction. Conde practiced everything he heard from his father, Alejandro Conde, an acclaimed singer with more than 20 albums to his name, and one of the foremost performers of Copla, the flamenco-infused song book of popular works. Conde earned his first bachelor’s degree in Classical from the Jose Iturbi Conservatory of Music in 2001. From there, he went on to study at L’aula de Musica de Barcelona and earned a Diploma of Excellence in 2006.
In 2006, Conde was offered scholarships to pursue a second bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music. During his tenure at Berklee, his playing matured in his melding of musicality and increasing technical proficiency. He began playing professionally alongside jazz musicians and studied with trumpeter Mike Mossman, alto saxophonist Antonio Hart and pianist Jeb Patton.
In 2009, Conde met producer Fernando Brunet, with whom he released Jazz and Claps, an album featuring Alex original compositions. The album was released with Contraseña Records and opened the path of jazz and flamenco and stamped the music of Alex Conde as a center and as a mature composer and arranger for small ensemble.
In 2013, Conde self-produced and released his second album, Barrio del Carmen, a collection of music composed and arranged for the flamenco companies for which he has composed music over the years. The album features flamenco stars including gypsy singer Kina Mendez, nephew of the great Paquera de Jerez, and guitarist Jose Luis Rodriguez, long-time musical director for Cristina Hoyos. The album became a classic on TV programs such as Television Castilla la Mancha, presented by Rocío Sañudo, and in flamenco dance classes, where it is prized for its musicality and structure.
In 2015, Conde recorded an Iberian-inflected tribute to Thelonious Monk, Descarga for Monk (ZOHO), accompanied by seven-time Grammy-nominated percussionist John Santos and bassist Jeff Chambers, earning international recognition.
Today, Conde has become one of his generation’s pivotal figures in flamenco piano. With a fluid technique, an innovative tonal palette, and an extensive repertoire, he plays with the passion of a young artist and the command of a seasoned veteran, and remains in constant demand as both a studio artist and a performer.
Happy Dog Piano Duo!
Program:
- Mendelssohn: Andante et Allegro brillant Op. 92
- Ravel: Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose)
- Beethoven: Sonata in D Major for Four Hands Op. 6
- Barber: Souvenirs Op. 28
The notorious “Happy Dog” piano duo consists of longtime friends and piano partners, Nathan Cheung and Eric Tran. They won the 1st prize and Abild American Music Award at the Ellis Duo-Piano Competition, hosted by the National Federation of Music Clubs; 1st prize at the inaugural MTNA-Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition; and 1st prize at the Ohio International Duet and Duo Piano Competition. For over a decade, they have performed four-hands originals, transcriptions, and classics alike with a focus on bringing humor and joy to the classical music world.
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.
Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Nathan Cheung is known for his versatility as a soloist, collaborator, composer, and improviser. These roles are fueled by a life-long passion to discover artistry and accessibility—to understand the power of great music and tap into its potential to resonate with people from all walks of life. His education has aided him significantly in strengthening these endeavors, culminating in degrees from Stanford University (BA Music with honors, concentrations in Piano Performance and Composition) and the Eastman School of Music (DMA, MM, Piano Performance and Literature; MM, Accompanying and Chamber Music). His primary instructors during his studies were Natalya Antonova, Nelita True, Jean Barr, and Thomas Schultz, to each of whom he owes immensely in shaping his core pianism and values.
Dr. Cheung has claimed the 1st prize in the 2019 Los Angeles International Piano Competition and has won top prizes in other international competitions including the Seattle International Piano Competition, Wideman International Piano Competition, Lewisville Lake Symphony International Competition, and Thousand Islands International Piano Competition. He is also a winner of the Aspen Concerto Competition, the American Prize concerto division, the Music Teacher’s Association of California Solo Competition, and the concerto competitions at both the Eastman School and Stanford University. His performances have taken him to established venues such as Bing Concert Hall, the Mondavi Center, and the Schoenberg Center in Vienna. In the realm of the solo recital, Nathan enjoys producing themed concerts as a means to draw musical comparisons. Prior concerts have featured the theme of Water and Fire, the similarity of Schubert’s attacca Wanderer Fantasy and Szymanowski’s attacca Third Piano Sonata, and the underperformed works by George Walker and Joseph Achron.
Phillip Dyson, piano
Program:
- Scott Joplin : The Entertainer
- Erik Satie : Gymnopédie No. 1
- Felix Arndt : Nola
- Scott Joplin : Heliotrope Bouquet
- Billy Mayerl : Marigold
- Scott Joplin : Maple Leaf Rag
- Debussy : Clair de Lune
- Chopin :
- Etude in A flat, op. 25 no. 1,
- Nocturne in E flat, op. 9 no. 2,
- Fantaisie-Impromptu, op. 66
- Rachmaninov : Prelude in C sharp minor, op. 3 no. 2
- Schubert : Impromptu no. 3 in G flat, D.899
- Billy Mayerl :
- Sleepy Piano
- Sweet William
- George Gershwin : Selection (arr. Dyson)
Phillip Dyson is recognized as one of Britain’s most sought after and innovative concert pianists. He has gained enormous popularity for his unique abilities in both the classical and light music repertoire. His rapport with audiences, brilliant technique and innate sensitivity constantly win him the highest of praise. He often broadcasts on the BBC and Classic FM, performs regularly with leading orchestras and has a great international reputation in Europe and America.
Born in Lancashire, Phillip Dyson began musical studies at an early stage and by the age of twelve had given a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which launched a busy and successful performing career. He studied at the Royal College of Music with Colin Horsley and John Lill, and also with William Lloyd Webber. At the age of 27 he was appointed Professor of Piano at the London College of Music. He has appeared at major festivals throughout Britain and most frequently appears in London, including the South Bank Centre and St John’s, Smith Square. He tours overseas every year, particularly in the United States and Europe. He is often invited to the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival and was the first British pianist to appear at the West Coast Ragtime Festival. In addition, he tours California each year, particularly in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles. In addition, he has toured in Canada as soloist with the Palm Court Orchestra of Vancouver.
As a leading exponent of British music, in the concert hall, on CD and for the BBC, Phillip Dyson has long had the music of Sir Malcolm Arnold in his repertoire. He gave the Irish première and first performance outside the United Kingdom of Arnold’s Fantasy on a theme of John Field, broadcast live from the National Concert Hall, Dublin, in celebration of the composer’s eightieth birthday. His performances of the Fantasy were warmly praised by the composer, who described his interpretation of the work as so sympathetic and so exactly what he had in mind when he wrote the piece that it was quite uncanny: ‘of all the distinguished pianists who have performed the composition over the years I cannot think of any who have added so much to my work as has Phillip Dyson on each occasion it has been my privilege to hear him perform the Fantasy’.
Sing Out Strong! – Hearts Filled With Song
Free Admission. Register online. Donations accepted
Members of “Sing Out Strong” are delighted to return for our group’s 5th Season at Sunset Music and Arts! on Saturday June 24, 2023. Formed in 2017 by Director Ellaine Jerome and Pianist Betty Fujimoto, the 12 member ensemble has continued safely rehearsing – indoors and outdoors — in anticipation of once more sharing our love of singing with people of all ages.
Program: This season’s program features songs of beauty, love, and inspiration. Music which is compelling, supportive, and even silly. Songs created by some of the most amazing song writers in our country’s history: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern, Louis Prima, Neil Diamond, and more.
We sincerely hope that everyone who attends our program on 6/24/23 will leave with a Song in Your Heart!
July
Lyle Sheffler, guitar
Saturday July 15, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Program:
- J. S. Bach: Prelude BWV 999
- Heitor Villa-Lobos: Cinq Préludes
- Isaac Albéniz: Asturias
- Napoléon Coste: La Source du Lyson, Op. 47
- The Balcarres Lute Book: Tweedsyde
- Francisco Tárrega: Capricho Arabe
- Agustín Barrios: Vals No. 4, Op. 8, Danza Paraguaya
International guitar soloist Lyle Sheffler began playing classical guitar at the age of seven and made his first public appearance at the age of eight. Acclaimed for his artistry, warm tone, and captivating programs, he has played at such esteemed venues as Carnegie Hall, Freight & Salvage Stadium, the Tilles Center, and the Hanoi Opera House, as well as numerous other concert halls around the globe. In addition to solo recitals, Lyle has performed as a concerto soloist with orchestras with Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Fantasia para un Gentilhombre” and Antonio Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in D Major.
In the fall of 2012, Lyle was invited to tour the Middle East and Asia with Celebrity Cruises as a solo classical guitarist. He was also selected to participate in the prestigious Ile de Ré International Guitar Festival in France, led by guitar virtuoso Philippe Villa in 2010. While in France, Lyle was hand picked to perform in a solo concert held open to the public, as well as to play first guitar in several different chamber ensembles. During the summer of 2009, Lyle was awarded the opportunity to participate in both the Iserlohn Classical Guitar Festival in Germany and the Polish Guitar Academy in Poznan, Poland. There, he performed both in ensembles and as a soloist. He has participated in master classes with many world-renowned artists including Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, and many others.
William Beatty and Brooke Aird in concert
Program:
- Handel: Sonata in D Major
- Beethoven: Sonata in F major, opus 24
- Prokofiev: Sonata in F Minor, opus 80
Violinist Brooke Aird studied at the Manhattan School of Music, and got his first professional work playing in Off-Broadway shows. He is a member of The Marin Symphony, and has performed with most of the orchestras in SF Bay Area, including the SF Opera, the SF Ballet, and the Oakland and Sacramento Symphonies. An accomplished chamber musician, Brooke was a member of the new music group Sounds New, and is the violinist of The Carol String Trio.
Brooke also got an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts, and for a few years he and his wife ran a small catering company called “For the Love of Food.”
Composer/ pianist William Beatty resides in Berkeley, California, where he teaches piano, guitar and drums. He studied classical piano with Jeanne Stark Iochmans, jazz piano and theory with Don Haas, Bill Bell, and Dick Whittington, and latin jazz and salsa with Rebeca Mauleon. A love of chamber music from early on continues to the present, and he is delighted to be performing works from this rich musical genre.
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: (Duration 1 hour)
- Saturday June 10 at 10:30 a.m.
- 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. For details click here.
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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