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CANCELED / Marriage of Figaro / Opera for Educators
Canceled due to COVID-19 Precautions. I particularly enjoy these events because I have the honor of teaching teachers! The LA Opera designed the Opera for Educators workshop series as a professional development opportunity for local educators (K-12). Through multiple sessions and discussions, this particular workshop does a 360-degree review of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. I will be focusing specifically on the female characters.
Read moreCANCELED / Invited Rehearsal / Norman Prokoviev LA Phil
Canceled as COVID-19 Precaution. As part of the orchestra's outreach and education program, the LA Phil sometimes invites LA-area students to sit in on a rehearsal. For some young people, this event might be the first time they've seen an orchestra in person or been in Disney Hall. For serious music students this is a chance to see professional music-making up close. And it's my job—as facilitator, teacher and guide—to prepare students for what they're about to hear and see.…
Read moreFB Live-stream Lunch / Beethoven String Quartet Op. 59 (2)
Colburn Presents A Serving of Beethoven Lunchtime Concerts. Colburn continues its celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday. What's new? A series of lunchtime concerts highlighting the composer’s most beloved works. Join me and my Colburn colleague Scott St. John in a live discussion of Beethoven’s music, followed by a live-stream performance. It's free! Just join us on the Colburn Facebook page when the show begins. Beethoven String Quartet, Op. 59 (2) Performers: Scott St. John and Hannah Zhdan, Violins. Abigail Smith, Viola. Minji Kim, Cello.
Read moreFB Live-stream Lunch / Beethoven & Calidore Quartet
Colburn Presents A Serving of Beethoven Lunchtime Concerts. Colburn continues its celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday. What's new? A series of lunchtime concerts highlighting the composer’s most beloved works. Join me and my Colburn colleague Scott St. John in a live discussion of Beethoven’s music, followed by a livestream performance. It's free! Just join us on the Colburn Facebook page when the show begins. Beethoven String Quartet, Op. 18/1 Performed by the Calidore String Quartet
Read moreCANCELED / Concert 7 / Salon de Musiques
Canceled as COVID-19 Precaution. Strauss, Schumann Chopin, Mendelssohn. Presented in a unique chamber music format. Join musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano as the Salon's hostess. Providing informative live program notes. And moderating the conversation between patrons and performers. Tickets include Concert and La Conversation (champagne reception followed by a light repast). The Program R. Strauss - Songs for Soprano & Piano Clara Schumann - Piano Trio in g Minor, Op. 17 F. Chopin - Etude No. 7 in c Sharp Minor, Op.…
Read moreCANCELED / Mason House / Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler
Canceled as a COVID-19 Precaution. Beethoven's Piano Trio in D Major ("Ghost"). Brahms Piano Quintet No. 3, Op. 60. Mahler Piano Quartet Movement. Dr. Kristi Brown Montesano provides live program notes. And leads an informal conversation between the audience and artists. This evening's artists: Ambroise Aubrun, Violin. Alma Fernandez, Viola. Cécilia Tsan, Cello. Steven Vanhauwaert, Piano. About this Intimate Concert Series Composer Todd Mason and his wife remodeled their home to create an intimate performance venue for chamber musicians and audiences,…
Read moreCANCELED / Double Requiem / LA Phil Upbeat Live
Canceled as COVID-19 Precaution. This is a rare opportunity to hear two requiem masterworks back to back. French composers Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Duruflé each conquered the form in their unique way. In my pre-concert talk, I will explore the social tradition of requiem as remembrance, compositional techniques, and historical context. FAURÉ — Requiem, Op. 48 (1893 version) DURUFLÉ — Requiem, Op. 9 (1961 version)
Read moreOpera in the Classroom / LA Opera Connects
Note: due to COVID-19 precautions, this event will be presented as an online meeting. Opera in the Classroom and Arts Integration I particularly enjoy these events because I have the honor of teaching teachers! The LA Opera designed the Opera for Educators workshop series as a professional development opportunity for local educators (K-12). This particular workshop takes a big picture view regarding opera as a curricular opportunity. My presentation is one of seven different sessions. In it I will review... The…
Read moreInvited Rehearsal / Ives Dvorak LA Phil
As part of the orchestra's outreach and education program, the LA Phil sometimes invites LA-area students to sit in on a rehearsal. For some young people, this event may well be the first time they've seen an orchestra in person or been in Disney Hall. For serious music students this is a chance to see professional music-making up close. And it's my job—as facilitator, teacher and guide—to prepare students for what they're about to hear and see. This invited rehearsal features…
Read moreOpera Wilmington Symposium / Keynote Address
Opera Wilmington's fifth annual symposium explores issues of gender, race and power in Mozart’s The Magic Flute" is. Leah Hawkins, soprano, is the event's featured artist. And Dr. Brown-Montesano will present a keynote talk that directly addresses the challenges of staging this work for 21st century audiences.
Read moreNew Media & Opera / LA Opera Connects
Twitter. Podcasts. Social networking. How should new media and opera intersect? LA Opera Connect's first academic conference proposes this important question. I will be moderating the conference's opening panel discussion. And I'm also a presenter in the "lightning-talk" session—an exhilarating format for idea exchange! Plus (bonus!) registrants and up to one guest will also receive complimentary tickets to a world-premier performance of the opera Eurydice (Matthew Aucoin) at 7:30pm this same evening. Conference space is limited, so please be sure to…
Read moreInvited Rehearsal / Weimar & LA Phil
Weimar Republic, Germany, 1919-1933. Historically speaking, it's a long way from Los Angeles 2020. So I help prepare local school music students (grades 6-12) for what they're about to hear during the LA Phil's rehearsal. These exciting programs include important works by Hindemith and Weill, among others.
Read moreInvited Rehearsal / Beethoven & LA Phil
Invited rehearsals are a wonderful LA Phil education program. Local school music students (grades 6-12) get to sit in on a live rehearsal. And I help set the stage for everyone with an informational lecture on this all-Beethoven concert. (Coriolan Overture, Piano Concerto No. 3, and Symphony No. 5.)
Read moreWater and Music / OC Youth Orchestra
Music and water. Two things kids love! And I love narrating the Orange County Youth Orchestra's "Concerts for Fifth Graders." Sponsored by the Philharmonic Society's educational program. Featuring excerpts from Handel's "Water Music," Vivaldi's "Winter" from The Four Seasons, and "Pirates of the Caribbean" (Smetana's "Moldau").
Read moreBach to Piazzolla / Mason House Concert
Piazzolla, Gershwin, Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Bach. The Vieness Piano Duo perform music spanning music history—and the globe. Dr. Kristi Brown Montesano provides live program notes. And leads an informal conversation between the audience and artists. About this Intimate Concert Series Composer Todd Mason and his wife remodeled their home to create an intimate performance venue for chamber musicians and audiences, for what is now known as the Mason House Concerts. “My wife and I were always big music lovers. We noticed…
Read moreRussian Chamber Music / Salon de Musiques
Three Russian masters: Tchaikovsky, Arensky and Rachmaninoff. Presented in a unique chamber music format. Join musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano as the Salon's hostess. Providing informative live program notes. And moderating the conversation between patrons and performers. Tickets include Concert and La Conversation (champagne reception followed by a light repast). The Program Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 3 in Eb minor, Op. 30 Rachmaninoff: Trio "Elegiaque" No. 1 in G minor Rachmaninoff: "Two Pieces" Op. 2 for Cello & Piano Arensky: Piano Quintet in…
Read morePrism V / Bach, Webern, Beethoven – Danish String Quartet
The Danish String Quartet, one of the leading quartets of their generation, continues their three-year La Jolla Music Society residency with five concerts celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. The PRISM Project is a series of musical sets based on the historical and musical impact of Bach’s seminal fugal writing, the final Beethoven string quartets, and compositions which were born out of these fundamentally influential works, including quartets by Shostakovich, Schnittke, Bartók, Mendelssohn, and Webern. The title refers to…
Read morePrism IV / Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven – Danish String Quartet
The Danish String Quartet, one of the leading quartets of their generation, continues their three-year La Jolla Music Society residency with five concerts celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. The PRISM Project is a series of musical sets based on the historical and musical impact of Bach’s seminal fugal writing, the final Beethoven string quartets, and compositions which were born out of these fundamentally influential works, including quartets by Shostakovich, Schnittke, Bartók, Mendelssohn, and Webern. The title refers to…
Read morePrism III / Bach, Bartók, Beethoven – Danish String Quartet
The Danish String Quartet, one of the leading quartets of their generation, continues their three-year La Jolla Music Society residency with five concerts celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. The PRISM Project is a series of musical sets based on the historical and musical impact of Bach’s seminal fugal writing, the final Beethoven string quartets, and compositions which were born out of these fundamentally influential works, including quartets by Shostakovich, Schnittke, Bartók, Mendelssohn, and Webern. The title refers to…
Read more10th Anniversary / Le Salon de Musiques
Happy anniversary! For 10 years, Francois Chouchan has offered chamber music fans a unique afternoon of artistry and socializing. And on Sunday, October 6th, I hope you'll us for this season's Grand Opening. Program W. Mozart - "Divertimento" in D Major K.136 for String Quartet. G.F. Haendel - Sonata in G minor for Two Violins & Piano - Op. 2, No. 7. J. Haydn - String Quartet in D Major "The Lark" - Op. 64, No. 5. L. Beethoven - Piano…
Read moreSubscriber Appreciation / LA Phil
Subscribers make the difference! And the LA Phil knows how to throw a party. So this is going to be a really great day of food trucks and musical family fun. Workshops. Music trivia quizzes. And getting to know members of the orchestra a little better. My role? I'm one of many guest hosts there to keep things friendly and informative. This is one of my favorite events of the year. Open only to subscribers who RSVP. Don't forget to sign-up!
Read moreConcerto Winner / Colburn Orchestra
Colburn's Concerto Competition winner Sanga Yang kicks off the Colburn Orchestra season by performing Schumann's notoriously challenging Cello Concerto. LA Opera conductor James Conlon leads a program also featuring Weber's Euryanthe Overture and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 3. Schumann's cello concerto is his last composition before entering an asylum, surrendering to the mental illness that censured his creative life. As Sanga's teacher, and my Colburn colleague, Clive Greensmith says, "As a human being, as an artist, this is a piece that helps you become more sensitive and…
Read moreSummerFest Finale / Nicholas McGegan
The finale concert of SummerFest Music Director Inon Barnatan’s inaugural season celebrates the concerto grosso. Conductor and harpsichordist Nicholas McGegan leads the SummerFest Chamber Orchestra. Great masterworks pair in exciting ways with modern visions of the form. And it all ties back to Opening Night’s exploration of the deep connection of music across centuries. In my pre-concert talk for the finale concert—(7pm)—we'll explore the concerto grosso's social history. It's a charming string-centric genre that first arose in seventeenth-century Italy, delighting…
Read moreLe Salon de Musiques / Brahms & Beethoven
Le Salon de Musiques - Concert & La Conversation. A regular at Salon, public musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano provides live program notes. At the concert's end, she moderates a conversation between patrons and performers. And afterwards, Dr. Brown-Montesano joins the audience and artists in the adjoining dining room. Tickets include Concert and La Conversation (champagne reception followed by socializing and light repast) The Artists Ambroise Aubrun, Violin Juliette Herlin-Giret, Cello Vija Venkatesh, Piano Eva Schaumkell, Piano The Program J. BRAHMS…
Read moreLA Phil / Double Mass Program
UpBeat Live with Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano. For listeners used to the brawny drama of Beethoven’s Fifth and the epic vision of his Missa solemnis, the composer’s Mass in C may surprise with its tranquility and beauty. In contrast, Haydn’s most performed Mass is highly dramatic, with a soaring soprano solo and masterfully interwoven choral lines. Saturday, May 25 @ 7pm Sunday, May 26 @ 1pm Double Mass Program Beethoven - Mass in C Haydn - "Lord Nelson" Mass Gustavo Dudamel…
Read moreLa Jolla Music Society / Finckel & Han
Prelude Pre-Concert Lecture @ 7pm (Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano). Concert @ 8pm David Finckel and Wu Han are recipients of the 2010 Musical America’s Musicians of the Year award, one of the highest honors granted by the music industry. He was a protégé of Mstislav Rostropovich; she, a veteran of top-flight musical training grounds like Aspen and Marlboro. Critics have praised the boldness, imagination, and collaborative intimacy of their work—often trumpeting his laser-like focus and her innate spark. But performing is…
Read moreLA Phil / Salonen Conducts Respighi
Upbeat Live with Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano. Friday, April 26, 2019 @ 7pm Saturday, April 2, 2019 @ 7pm Sunday, April 28, 2019 @ 1pm In addition to the sweeping Pines of Rome, the program also includes a work by Franco Donatoni – one of the conductor’s teachers – that Salonen and the LA Phil premiered in 2001. “I love the kaleidoscopic world of Donatoni, the sudden twists and turns and the sheer beauty of the surface of the music,” Salonen…
Read moreLa Jolla Music Society / Shaham & Eguchi
Prelude Pre-Concert Lecture @ 7pm (Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano). Concert @ 8pm LJMS welcomes back longtime friend Gil Shaham! Because of Shaham's mastery, he is a sought-after concerto performer with leading orchestras and conductors world-wide. And in 2012, he was honored as Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year. Pianist Akira Eguchi is distinguished by his performances for heads of State, including American Presidents, and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Shaham and Eguchi are noteworthy artists and long time collaborators. Shaham-Eguchi Program KREISLER · Praeludium and…
Read moreLe Salon de Musiques / Violin, Cello and Piano
The Program J.S BACH: Sonata for Violin & Piano in B Minor - BWV 1014 C. SAINT-SAENS: Sonata for Violin & Piano N.1 in D Minor - OP 75 F. CHOPIN: Introduction & Polonaise Brillante in C Minor for Cello & Piano - OP 3 P. SCHARWENKA: Piano Trio in G Major OP 112 - U.S. Premiere The Artists Jessica Guideri, Violin Eric Beyers, Cello Rodolfo Leone, Piano Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano, Public Musicologist Tickets include Concert and La Conversation (champagne…
Read moreLA Opera League / La Clemenza di Tito
LA Opera League Seminar on La Clemenza di Tito and Mozart. Presenter: Kristi Brown-Montesano, Ph.D., Chair of Music History Faculty - Colburn School Conservatory of Music. Nino Sanikidze, Head Coach of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, will lead a program of arias from the opera, with singers to be announced. There will be a break mid-way through the program when participants may visit the Colburn Cafe. $35 for Opera League Members $45 for Non-Members
Read moreMason House Concert / The Lyris Quartet
This concert features The Lyris Quartet performing works by Haydn, Johnson, Mason, Beethoven. Dr. Kristi Brown Montesano provides the live program notes, and leads an informal conversation between the audience and artists. About this Intimate Concert Series Composer Todd Mason and his wife remodeled their home to create an intimate performance venue for chamber musicians and audiences, for what is now known as the Mason House Concerts. “My wife and I were always big music lovers. We kept noticing that many people experience…
Read moreLa Jolla Music Society / Danish String Quartet
LJMS 50th Anniversary Season The Danish String Quartet begins year one of their three year residency with La Jolla Music Society with three unique concert experiences celebrating the quartet’s diverse repertoire and commitment to Scandanavian composers, traditional Nordic folk tunes, and classical music masters. Winners of the 2016 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, they have played everywhere from Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. 7pm - Prelude Lecture: Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano 8pm - Concert
Read moreSalon de Musiques / Norway, Finland, England
Join the Salon community for an afternoon of music and conversation, including champagne and a high-tea buffet. I introduce the concert and moderate the Q & A with the artists. The program highlights composers from the European Northwest: Grieg (Norway), Sibelius (Finland), and Bridge (England).
Read moreWomen in Music Festival
Showcasing the brilliance of female musicians and music scholars from the LA area and beyond, MSMU’s Women in Music Festival celebrates the diversity of MSMU students and highlights the power of music as a vehicle for positive social change through a rich program of concerts and presentations. I will participate in the opening panel, “Music, Women, Diversity,” and will share my work on the subject of women and opera during the 3:30-4:10 session. Festival-goers must register online to attend daytime…
Read moreSalon de Musique / Composers of 19th c. Paris
Join the Salon community for an afternoon of music and conversation, including champagne and a high-tea buffet. I introduce the concert and moderate the Q & A with the artists. The program highlights composers—Franck, Saint-Saëns, Chausson—active in Paris during the late 19th century.
Read moreColburn Orchestra at the Ambassador: Pre-Concert Talk
Learn more about a master of the neoclassic style, Danish composer Carl Nielsen, and his Concerto for Flute. Colburn Conservatory student and new principal flutist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Joachim Becerra Thomsen, is the soloist. The program also features Rossini’s Overture to L’Italiana in Algeri and Beethoven’s groundbreaking Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.” Note: concert starts at 7:30pm.
Read moreConference: Bach on Screen
Organized by the Riedenschneider Bach Institute, this conference focuses on any topic relating to Bach and music for film, television, video games, commercials, or any other screen media. The proceedings of the conference will be published in the special issues of BACH: Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute. My paper investigates the origins of post-WWII associations of Bach's music with the fictional "technological" genius/madman, looking particularly at the 1974 film thriller, The Terminal Man in relation to Glenn Gould's score for Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
Read moreLA Opera: “Opera for Educators” Seminar
Lecture on the Orpheus myth and the history of opera as part of LA Opera's professional-development program for LAUSD educators.
Read moreLA Phil Upbeat Live / “Dudamel conducts Brahms”
Preconcert lecture for an exciting evening of old and new: Brahms’s First Symphony and an early standout work, Fireworks, by Stravinsky paired with a new commission by LA Phil Principal Timpanist Joseph Pereira, Threshold.
Read moreLA Phil “Green Umbrella” Concert: Upbeat Live lecture
Pre-concert lecture for an evening of outstanding new works led by Principal Guest Conductor Susanna Mälkki and featuring the LA Phil New Music Group.
Read moreMason House Concerts
I will be giving the concert introduction, exploring the genre of the piano trio, specifically Beethoven's "Archduke" Trio and Shostakovich's Trio No. 1. The program features outstanding Los Angeles-based performing artists, Gloria Cheng (piano), Sarah Thornblade (violin), and Cecilia Tsan (cello).
Read moreLe Salon de Musiques: From Russia with Love
A wonderful chamber-music series in the heart of downtown. The Salon brings performing artists and audience close together for an afternoon of music, champagne, and conversation. Includes an introduction to the program and a Q&A with the musicians.
Read moreDebut! LA Philharmonic’s “Upbeat Live”
Very excited working the LA Phil "faculty" as an Upbeat Live speaker! A fantastic program: Hilary Hahn offers a delightful early kick-off for the Bernstein anniversary year (2018), playing his Serenade (after Plato’s “Symposium”). Also the world premiere of a new composition by Tania Léon and Rachmaninoff's Third Symphony.
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