Latest Past Events
Preconcert Lecture: Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaWhat a terrific concert! The London-based Philharmonia Orchestra, with principal conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, will be joined by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, known for his extraordinary technical precision and brainy artistry. Sign Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society SummerFest 2025 with Renée Fleming
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaThis is a dream concert: the miraculous Renée Fleming singing Strauss's Four Last Songs (with chamber orchestra) paired with Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. Both of these works, deeply Find out more »
Invited Lecturer: Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival (Zoom)
ZoomMy first time being part of the Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival, which is a real treat. I love the city and can’t wait to meet the lovely community at SCMS! Find out more »
Invited Lecturer: Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival (July 22)
Women's University Club, Seattle 1105 Sixth Avenue, SeattleMy first time being part of the Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival, which is a real treat. I love the city and can’t wait to meet the lovely community at SCMS! Find out more »
Invited Lecturer: Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival (July 21)
Seattle Chamber Music Society Center 601 Union St Ste 220, SeattleMy first time being part of the Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival, which is a real treat. I love the city and can't wait to meet the lovely community Find out more »
Mason Concert: Vienness Piano Duo / Preconcert Talk (and Performance!)
Mar Vista, CAWe're BAAAAACK! By popular demand, the Vieness Piano Duo—Eva Schaumkell and Vijay Venkatesh—and I will collaborate again on Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals with Ogden Nash's cheeky narration. (Note: I Find out more »
Mason Concert: Zelter Quartet / Preconcert Talk
Mar Vista, CAOk, so I've been fan crushin' on the Zelter Quartet for a while now, so it's always a joy to introduce their concerts and hear them play! Their enticing program Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Verdi’s “Rigoletto”
ZoomLA Opera's production of Rigoletto, starring powerhouse baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, promises to be a thoroughly gripping season ender! And I will kickoff the "Opera for Educators" Find out more »
Invited Speaker: Jane Austen Society of North America
Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens 1151 Oxford Rd, San MarinoOne of the many wonderful things about being a "public musicologist" is that you never know when an audience member might surprise you with an unexpected invitation: in this case, Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Mozart and Grieg (Apr 27)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallLove that I will have the chance to talk about this crazy-good mashup of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor (featuring soloist Yeol Eum Son) and Grieg’s Symphony No. Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Mozart and Grieg (Apr 26)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallLove that I will have the chance to talk about this crazy-good mashup of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor (featuring soloist Yeol Eum Son) and Grieg’s Symphony No. Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Mozart and Grieg (Apr 25)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallLove that I will have the chance to talk about this crazy-good mashup of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor (featuring soloist Yeol Eum Son) and Grieg's Symphony Find out more »
Los Angeles Philharmonic: “Invited Rehearsal” Lecturer
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAnother great opportunity to work with young musicians and talk with them about music history! The LA Phil’s Invited Rehearsal program is open to school or extra-curricular instrumental music ensembles—jazz, Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Lucas Debargue
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaThe composer-pianist Lucas Debargue comes to La Jolla with his sharp creative intellect and astounding technical gifts. Born in 1990, Debargue forged a highly unconventional path to success. Having discovered Find out more »
LA Opera Connects / Opera for Educators: Golijov’s “Ainadamar”
ZoomFor this exciting session of the "Opera for Educators" seminars, I will familiarize participants with the eclectic and deeply dramatic musical style of Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov. The many influences Find out more »
Mason Concert: Mozart and Schumann / Preconcert Talk
Mar Vista, CAThis is a very special Mason Concert, bringing together five outstanding chamber musicians in a presentation of two repertoire faves: Mozart's Piano Quartet in G Minor and Schumann's luscious Piano Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Nobuyuki Tsujii
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaBlind from birth, Japanese pianist Nobuyuki "Nobu" Tsujii won the joint Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. He will bring his extraordinary artistry and virtuosic Find out more »
Host/Narrator: LA Phil / Symphonies for Schools (Mar 26)
Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S Grand Ave, Los AngelesMy friends at the Education Department of the LA Phil told me they were looking for someone with a Ms. Frizzle vibe to host the Symphonies for Schools educational concerts. Find out more »
Host/Narrator: LA Phil / Symphonies for Schools (Mar 25)
Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S Grand Ave, Los AngelesMy friends at the Education Department of the LA Phil told me they were looking for someone with a Ms. Frizzle vibe to host the Symphonies for Schools educational concerts. Find out more »
Host/Narrator: LA Phil / Symphonies for Youth (Mar 22)
Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S Grand Ave, Los AngelesA new and very welcome adventure with the LA Phil: I'm hosting the Symphonies for Youth concerts! I come to this new collaboration with special joy, not only because I Find out more »
Host/Narrator: LA Phil / Symphonies for Youth (Mar 15)
Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S Grand Ave, Los AngelesA new and very welcome adventure with the LA Phil: I'm hosting the Symphonies for Youth concerts! I come to this new collaboration with special joy, not only because I Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesIn anticipation of the upcoming Los Angeles production of Mozart's comic opera Così fan tutte, my presentation for the marvelous Opera League of Los Angeles will interrogate the gender-determinist premise of the Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Mahler’s Symphony 7 (Mar 1)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallPart of the LA Phil’s “Mahler Grooves Festival,” this program features my favorite Mahler symphony: No. 7 in E minor, frequently labeled “Song of the Night” for its many nocturnal Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Mahler’s Symphony 7 (Feb 28)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallPart of the LA Phil’s “Mahler Grooves Festival,” this program features my favorite Mahler symphony: No. 7 in E minor, frequently labeled “Song of the Night” for its many nocturnal Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Mahler’s Symphony 7 (Feb 27)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallPart of the LA Phil's "Mahler Grooves Festival," this program features my favorite Mahler symphony: No. 7 in E minor, frequently labeled “Song of the Night” for its many nocturnal Find out more »
Los Angeles Philharmonic: “Invited Rehearsal” Lecturer
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAnother great opportunity to work with young musicians and talk with them about music history! The LA Phil’s Invited Rehearsal program is open to school or extra-curricular instrumental music ensembles—jazz, Find out more »
LA Phil: Mahler Grooves Listening Party / Moderator
Paramour Estate 1923 Micheltorena St, Los AngelesA once-in-a-lifetime events! I have the honor of moderating this listening party with three distinguished—and Mahler-loving—panelists: film director Todd Field (Tár), music supervisor Lauren Mikus (Only Murders in the Building), and Find out more »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents their Concerts for Fifth Grade, starring the Orange County Youth Symphony led by Music Director Johannes Müller Stosch. And I have the honor Find out more »
Opera Symposium: Don Giovanni (UNC Wilmington/Wilmington Opera)
Beckwith Recital Hall - UNC Wilmington Cultural Arts Building, WilmingtonI will be the keyboard speaker for this symposium focused on the upcoming summer production of Mozart's Don Giovanni by Opera Wilmington. My presentation at UNC Wilmington will center on Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Mozart’s Così fan tutte
ZoomSo excited to be in my special wheelhouse for this seminar: Mozart opera! My presentation will focus on the gender politics behind this comic opera with its problematic accusation that Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaA Russian tea! The program for this delectable Salon highlights works by Taneyev, Borodin, and Rachmaninoff. Plus a line-up of truly fabulous and engaging musicians: Kyle Gilner (violin), Agatha Blevin Find out more »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents their Concerts for Fifth Grade, starring the Orange County Youth Symphony led by Music Director Johannes Müller Stosch. And I have the honor Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Rachmaninoff & Muhly
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAlways thrilling to introduce a world premiere! This amazing program spotlights Nico Muhly‘s new Concerto Grosso, framed by two Rachmaninoff powerhouses: Symphony No. 3 and the Rhapsody on a Theme Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Rachmaninoff & Muhly
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAlways thrilling to introduce a world premiere! This amazing program spotlights Nico Muhly‘s new Concerto Grosso, framed by two Rachmaninoff powerhouses: Symphony No. 3 and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Find out more »
Upbeat Live Lecture @ LA Phil: Rachmaninoff & Muhly
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAlways thrilling to introduce a world premiere! This amazing program spotlights Nico Muhly's new Concerto Grosso, framed by two Rachmaninoff powerhouses: Symphony No. 3 and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Find out more »
Los Angeles Philharmonic: “Invited Rehearsal” Lecturer
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallHooray! I am returning to Walt Disney Concert Hall to introduce LA–area music students to the background of works by Rachmaninoff and Nico Muhly. After the lecture, the students and Find out more »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents their Concerts for Fifth Grade, starring the Orange County Youth Symphony led by Music Director Johannes Müller Stosch. And I have the honor and pleasure of narrating Find out more »
Prelude Lecture / La Jolla Music Society
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaOutstanding pianist and creative thinker, Jeremy Denk comes to the La Jolla Music Society with a program celebrating women composers from the 19th to 21st centuries along with works by Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaHeading into the winter holiday season with the marvelous Quartet Integra at the Salon de Musiques in beautiful La Jolla, California. Artistic Director and founder François Chouchan has put together Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross'd lovers! I'll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. I'll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross'd lovers! I'll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. I'll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross’d lovers! I’ll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera‘s production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. I’ll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, I’ll spotlight some Find out more »
La Jolla Music Society: Hélène Grimaud
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaI'm delighted to continue my collaboration with the La Jolla Music Society, offering the preconcert lectures for a stellar piano concert series. This season's opening concert? The marvelous Hélène Grimaud Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAh, star-cross'd lovers! I'll be giving the pre-performance talk for LA Opera's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. I'll delve into the particular history and aesthetic traditions of French opera, Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaIt's the opening of a new season with Le Salon de Musiques! The program features two perennial favorites—piano quartets by Mozart and Brahms—and the Duo for violin and viola by Find out more »
Opera for Educators/LA Opera Connects: Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette”
ZoomEver notice that French-language opera doesn't get the same time in the programming spotlight as Italian-language opera? No fair! I will dive into the rich history of French opera and Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s legacy (Puccini100 celebration)
Thayer Hall, The Colburn School 200 Grand Avenue, Los AngelesThe final seminar of the Puccini100 series, sponsored by the Opera League of Los Angeles, will consider Puccini's legacy and enduring popularity—not just in terms of the operas themselves, but Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s “Il trittico” (Puccini100 celebration)
Honoring the 100th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini's death, this lecture series for the Opera League of Los Angeles offers in-depth explorations of the historical and musical context for Puccini's art Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Madama Butterfly
ZoomMy introductory lecture for this particular seminar sets up a day of exploration and critique critique Puccini's Madama Butterfly—of one of the most popular, and also thematically challenging, works of Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Opera Overview
ZoomThe kick-off seminar for LAUSD teachers and other opera-curious people! We open with an overview of the art form, and my talk will look at the three "pillars" of opera—the Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: “Resilience” (La Jolla Music Society SummerFest 2024)
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaAnother wonderful concert at the SummerFest! The theme of resilience connects the works on this unusual program featuring Fanny Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in D Minor, Maio Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Guitar Quintet, Erwin Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: “Baroque Fantasia” (La Jolla Music Society SummerFest 2024)
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaLove that old-time baroque music! My preconcert lecture delves into this fantastic musical program featuring programmatic works by four composers from four different countries: Henry Purcell (The Fairy Queen), Jean-Féry Find out more »
Association of California Symphonies and Orchestras Conference: Panel on Expanding Audiences and Programming
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA 50 Third Street, San FranciscoI will be moderating this crucial conversation as part of ASCO's annual conference in beautiful San Francisco with a stellar group of panelists: Kedrick Armstrong (Music Director, Oakland Symphony); Nora Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe finale of the 2023-24 Salon de Musiques season, featuring an extraordinary trio of artists: Vijay Gupta (Street Symphony Founder, MacArthur Fellow, and first-class violinist!), pianist Dominic Cheli, and cellist Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on “La Bohème,” “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly” (Puccini100 celebration)
I continue my seminar series with for the Opera League of Los Angeles celebrating the centennial of Puccini's death. This second lecture looks at Puccini's "triple crown" of popular works: Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Bruce Liu
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaMy final Prelude Lecture of LJMS season will introduced a sold-out concert! Pianist Bruce Liu, first prize winner of the 18th Chopin Piano Competition 2021 in Warsaw, makes his debut Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Dudamel conducts “Harry Potter”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAs a Harry Potter fan, of course I put my name in the Sorting Hat for a chance to introduce this concert, the final installment of LA Phil’s John Williams Spotlight series. Opening with Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Dudamel conducts “Harry Potter”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAs a Harry Potter fan, of course I put my name in the Sorting Hat for a chance to introduce this concert, the final installment of LA Phil's John Williams Find out more »
Invited Panelist on Public Musicology: “Music in Dialogue” Conference at UCLA
Schoenberg Music Building 445 Charles E Young Dr E, Los AngelesMy life as a teacher and scholar has been wonderfully enriched over the past 2+ years as a Lecturer in Musicology at UCLA. Case in point? The "Music in Dialogue" Find out more »
Mason Home Concerts: Program Intro and Interview (Zelter Quartet)
Mar Vista, CAAnother beautiful offering from the Mason Home Concert Series: the fabulous Zelter Quartet playing string quartets by Beethoven, Todd Mason, and Erich Korngold. I'll be talking with composer Todd Mason Find out more »
Opera League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s Early Works (Puccini100 celebration)
I'm delighted to lead this 4-part seminar series, a deep dive journey into the world of this consummate Italian opera composer as the music world honors the 100th anniversary of Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Puccini’s “Turandot”
ZoomMy presentation for this special Turandot seminar—an initiative of LA Opera Connects—will set the opera in the context of Puccini's Italy and highlight significant stylistic elements in the composer's final Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Correia, Beethoven, and Strauss
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallMaestro Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Philharmonic in a program featuring three creative artists of the Iberian Peninsula: composer Andreia Pinto Correia, beloved piano virtuoso Maria João Pires, and Miguel Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Correia, Beethoven, and Strauss
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallMaestro Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Philharmonic in a program featuring three creative artists of the Iberian Peninsula: composer Andreia Pinto Correia, beloved piano virtuoso Maria João Pires, and Miguel Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Correia, Beethoven, and Strauss
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallMaestro Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Philharmonic in a program featuring beloved piano virtuoso Maria João Pires, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in a double bill with Strauss's celebrated Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Correia, Beethoven, and Strauss
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallMaestro Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Philharmonic in a program featuring three creative artists of the Iberian Peninsula: composer Andreia Pinto Correia, beloved piano virtuoso Maria João Pires, and Miguel Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Yefim Bronfman
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaSuperstar pianist Yefim Bronfman presents a program that links in numerous ways with the city of Vienna: Beethoven's Piano Sonata in D Major, Opus 10, No. 3, Schubert's Piano Sonata Find out more »
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Invited Rehearsal Lecturer
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallAnother adventure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic's free Invited Rehearsal program! For this event, I will be introducing LA–area music students to the history and aesthetics of the concert overture Find out more »
Mason Concert
Mar Vista, CAThis concert is going to be FUN! The Mason Concert series presents the Los Angeles Wind Sextet in a wonderfully variegated program featuring works by Blümer, Ligeti, Poulenc, Falla, Chabrier, Find out more »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “La Traviata”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesI will be giving the pre-performance lecture on one of the most popular opera in the canonic repertoire, Verdi's La traviata! This new production by Shawna Lucey (General Director and Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Holland, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallWhat a great weekend! I will be the Upbeat Live speaker for a terrific program: a new work by American composer Jonathan Bailey Holland, Ravel's Tzigane (spotlighting concertmaster Martin Chalifour) and Mother Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Holland, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallWhat a great weekend! I will be the Upbeat Live speaker for a terrific program: a new work by American composer Jonathan Bailey Holland, Ravel’s Tzigane (spotlighting concertmaster Martin Chalifour) and Mother Goose Suite, and Find out more »
LA Opera: Opera in the Classroom Seminar
ZoomPart of the LAO's “Opera for Educators” seminars, this particular event aims to educate—and inspire—K-12 teachers about ways to incorporate opera into their lesson plans. My presentation, "Fairy Tales, Opera, Find out more »
LA Phil’s Upbeat Live Lecture: Holland, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallWhat a great weekend! I will be the Upbeat Live speaker for a terrific program: a new work by American composer Jonathan Bailey Holland, Ravel's Tzigane (spotlighting concertmaster Martin Chalifour) and Mother Find out more »
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Invited Rehearsal Lecturer
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThe Los Angeles Philharmonic's free Invited Rehearsal program for music students is BACK! I had so much fun being a part of these special events before COVID hit, and now Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe first Salon de Musiques of the spring season offers two of my favorites works: Mozart's String Quartet in C Major ("Dissonance") and Beethoven's Emperor Concerto (in an arrangement for Find out more »
Preconcert Lecture: Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony
McCallum Theatre 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm DesertMusic Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony come to the desert! I will be introducing their all-Sibelius program, part of the wonderful concert series presented by the Palm Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Verdi’s “La traviata”
ZoomIn this "Opera for Educators" seminar—offered by LA Opera Connects—I'll be talking about the role of production in creating new meanings of older works such as La traviata, Verdi's most enduringly Find out more »
Book presentation: “Understanding the Women of Mozart’s Operas”
ZoomThe Barrington Area Library invited me to speak about my book, Understanding the Women of Mozart's Operas (Univ. of Calif. Press, 2007, 2021), a critical re-evaluating source materials as well as Find out more »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents their Concerts for Fifth Grade, starring the Orange County Youth Symphony led by Music Director Johannes Müller Stosch. And I have the honor Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe March concert of the Salon de Musiques concert series features two celebrated works by Edvard Grieg: the impassioned String Quartet in G Minor and the Concerto in A Minor Find out more »
Lecture Presentation: Committee of Professional Women/LA Phil Association
St. Bede's Episcopal Church 3590 Grand View Blvd, Los AngelesI'm honored to be the invited speaker at this gathering of the Committee of Professional Women, affiliated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. This Affiliate group has member from across Find out more »
Mason Concert
Mar Vista, CAWhat's better than ONE fabulous pianist? Why, TWO fabulous pianists, of course! Mason Home Concerts welcomes the exuberant Vieness Piano Duo—wife and husband, Eva Schaumkell and Vijay Venkatesh—in a "beast" Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaVive la France! The February Salon spotlights two French composers of the later Romantic era: Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré. My preconcert introduction will explore the importance of chamber music Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Zemlinsky’s “The Dwarf” and Still’s “Highway 1, USA”
ZoomLos Angeles Opera presents a double feature of neglected one-act operas : Alexander Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg (The Dwarf, 1922) and William Grant Still's Highway 1, USA, which was first completed in Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Lucas & Arthur Jussen
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaChampioning repertoire for two pianists, brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen offer a challenging program showcasing the range of possibilities: Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448, Schubert's Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel leads the LA Phil in “Das Rheingold”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThis special presentation of Wagner's Das Rheingold celebrates architect Frank Gehry, a dedicated friend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, of course, designer of the gorgeous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gehry Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel leads the LA Phil in “Das Rheingold”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThis special presentation of Wagner's Das Rheingold celebrates architect Frank Gehry, a dedicated friend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, of course, designer of the gorgeous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gehry Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel leads the LA Phil in “Das Rheingold”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThis special presentation of Wagner's Das Rheingold celebrates architect Frank Gehry, a dedicated friend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, of course, designer of the gorgeous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gehry Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe music of Robert Schumann, one of the most literary of canonic composers, headlines this Salon program: the gorgeous song cycle "Dichterliebe" (Poet Love) and the dramatic Piano Quintet. Also Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe holiday-season program for this special Salon features music by Beethoven, Brahms and 19th-century Jewish composer, Salomon Jadassohn, an accomplished theorist and teacher whose students included Busoni and Grieg. Artists: Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Seong-Jin Cho
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaMy preperformance talk will introduce the recital program of pianist Seong-Jin Cho, an artist who is wowing crowds over the globe. This particular musical journey includes a delightful Haydn Sonata, Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel Leads World Premiere of Ortiz’s “Glitter Revolution”/ California Festival (Nov 19)
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLed by Gustavo Dudamel, this concert is part of the statewide California Festival, a statewide music showcase spotlighting the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel Leads World Premiere of Ortiz’s “Glitter Revolution”/ California Festival (Nov 18)
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLed by Gustavo Dudamel, this concert is part of the statewide California Festival, a statewide music showcase spotlighting the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel Leads World Premiere of Ortiz’s “Glitter Revolution”/ California Festival (Nov 17)
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLed by Gustavo Dudamel, this concert is part of the statewide California Festival, a statewide music showcase spotlighting the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Dudamel Leads World Premiere of Ortiz’s “Glitter Revolution”/ California Festival (Nov 16 KBM cancelled due to illness)
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLed by Gustavo Dudamel, this concert is part of the statewide California Festival, a statewide music showcase spotlighting the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in Find out more »
Laguna Beach Live! Listening to New (Classical) Music (KBM cancelled due to illness)
Woman's Club of Laguna Beach 286 St, Ann's Drive, Laguna BeachPresented by Laguna Beach Live! and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, the evening is an exciting introduction for the 2024 Laguna Beach Music Festival which will feature esteemed violinist Find out more »
Osher Lecture, Bach’s Goldberg Variations: A Musical and Cinematic Exploration
OSHER UC San Diego Campus Extension Complex UC San Diego Campus Extension Complex 9600 North Torrey Pines Rd., Building D, La JollaI'm delighted to be an Invited Speaker at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC San Diego! And I'm revisiting one of my favorite topics: Bach's "Goldberg" Variations. When Bach Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe second offering in the 2023-24 season of this unique chamber-music series features works by Mozart, Schubert, and American composer Rubin Goldmark. The first-rate trio of performers comprises two Salon Find out more »
Opera for Educators: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego
ZoomMy contribution to this Los Angeles Opera Connects seminar for K-12 educators and opera lovers will be an exploration of composer Gabriela Lena Frank and her relationship to Hispanic and Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Alexander Malofeev, piano
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents piano phenom, Alexander Malofeev, who won first prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians when he was just 13 years old in Find out more »
Pre-performance Lectures: LA Opera’s “The Barber of Seville” (all performances)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesJoin me for a delectable exploration of Rossini's winning musical style in this lecture which I have crafted in the manner of a gourmet recipe. (Rossini was a renowned gourmand Find out more »
Seminar Lecture: Santa Monica-Westside Philharmonic Committee
I will be lecturing to the Santa Monica-Westside Philharmonic Committee, and Affiliated Committee. My subject, appropriately for members of this volunteer group that supports the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is the Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Isabel Leonard and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaI am honored to give the introductory lecture for Opening Night of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County's 77th season! Mezzo soprano Isabel Leonard and classical guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas will Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaThe new Salon de Musiques season begins! This unique chamber-concert series in the heart of La Jolla offers an intimate musical experience with close-up seating, a Q&A with me and Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Isata Kanneh-Mason
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaOpening the La Jolla Music Society's 2023-24 season with a winning program by pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, who has gained international renown as a soloist and chamber musician, most recently serving Find out more »
Opera for Educators: The Barber of Seville
ZoomLove sharing the multifaceted world of opera with K-12 teachers and opera lovers! For this "Opera for Educators" seminar, I will be discussing Rossini's perfect "recipe" for comic opera, the Find out more »
Lecture: Pasadena Conservatory of Music
Master teacher and violinist Aimée Kreston has invited me again to bring a little music history to her marvelous "Chamber Music Intensive" at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Her students—primarily Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaI am delighted to be acting as musicological cohost for this special Salon de Musiques concert celebrating Jewish composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. The program offers both the Find out more »
Mason Concert
Mar Vista, CAThe final Mason Concert of the 2023 season—and it's going to be amazing! LA Philharmonic concertmaster Martin Chalifour is joined by three talented friends—cellist Cécilia Tsan, violist Victor de Almeida, Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Otello
ZoomAs part of this seminar for local educators and operas lovers, I will speak about the historical context for Verdi's final dramatic opera, Otello (1887), which the composer completed after Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Alice Sara Ott
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaI will offer an immersive introduction to the musical works for this "multimedia reimagining of the piano recital." Accompanied by a full-length video installation designed by architect Hakan Demirel, this Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La JollaFor the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, I'm returning to the marvelous Salon de Musiques chamber-concert series—now in La Jolla!—to introduce the program and moderate the post-concert Find out more »
Mason Concerts
Mar Vista, CALooking forward to introducing the program of another sold-out Mason House Concert! The program spotlights the flute (aka Lizzo's favorite instrument) and more specifically the astounding talent of 15-year-old flutist-composer Find out more »
Mason Concerts
Mar Vista, CAThe ever-engaging Mason Concerts series swings into spring appropriately enough with this performance by the Sakura ("cherry blossom") cello ensemble! The program: works by Bach, Handel, Barrière, and Dotzauer together Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Igor Levit
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaI'm heading back to the beautiful Conrad-Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla! I'll be giving the Prelude lecture for this recital by one of my favorite pianists: Igor Levit! Find out more »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents their Concerts for Fifth Grade, starring the Orange County Youth Symphony led by Music Director Johannes Müller Stosch. And moi? I have the Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Pelléas et Mélisande
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesThe Los Angeles Opera is staging Debussy's only complete opera, Pélleas et Mélisande. A masterful response to the stylistic gauntlet thrown down by Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Debussy's Pélleas sets to music the Find out more »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Irvine Barclay Theater 4242 Campus Drive, IrvineIt's that time of the year again! The Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents their Concerts for Fifth Grade, starring the Orange County Youth Symphony led by Music Director Johannes Find out more »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Pierre-Laurent Aimard
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaThe La Jolla Music Society presents pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard in a themed recital exploring the fantasia. The program extends across centuries from a late Renaissance work by Jan Sweelinck to Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Yuja Wang and Dudamel—Rachmaninoff Concerto #4 (19 FEB)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThe Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel celebrate Rachmaninoff in a cycle of concerts spotlighting the composer’s four concertos for piano and orchestra. The ferociously talented Yuja Wang plays Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Yuja Wang and Dudamel—Rachmaninoff Concerto #4 (18 FEB)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThe Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel celebrate Rachmaninoff in a cycle of concerts spotlighting the composer’s four concertos for piano and orchestra. The ferociously talented Yuja Wang plays Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Yuja Wang and Dudamel—Rachmaninoff Concerto #3 (17 FEB)
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThe Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel celebrate Rachmaninoff in a cycle of concerts spotlighting the composer’s four concertos for piano and orchestra. Yuja Wang, arguably one of Find out more »
Upbeat Live: Yuja Wang and Dudamel—Rachmaninoff Concerto #3
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallThe Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel celebrate Rachmaninoff in a cycle of concerts spotlighting the composer's four concertos for piano and orchestra. Yuja Wang, arguably one of Find out more »
Opera for Educators: Le nozze di Figaro
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesCalling teachers and opera lovers! The "Opera for Educators" seminars bring together experts in music, history, and opera production and performance for a day of learning and enjoyment. Dr. Brown-Montesano Find out more »
Introduction/Interview: Mason Concerts
Mar Vista, CAThe first concert of this intimate chamber-music series features the Zelter Quartet playing works by Haydn, Puccini, Todd Mason, and Jessie Montgomery. Dr. Brown-Montesano will offer a short introductory "lesson" Find out more »
UpBeat Live /The Nutcracker with Dudamel
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesGustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a magical program combining Tchaikovsky's beloved holiday score with selections from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's swinging Nutcracker Suite, including "Sugar Rum Find out more »
Pre-performance Lectures: LA Opera’s “Tosca” (all performances)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesThe Los Angeles Opera presents Puccini's immortal Tosca—a suspenseful political drama and love story centered on the fictional diva and force of nature, Floria Tosca. Dr. Brown-Montesano will delve into Find out more »
“Insights” Lecture and Interview / Pasadena Symphony
The Ambassador Auditorium - Pasadena 131 S. St. John Ave, PasadenaFor its second concert of the season, the Pasadena Symphony spotlights two late Romantic favorites: Sibelius's masterful Violin Concerto in D Minor, featuring violinist Alexandra Conunova, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. Find out more »
Prelude Lecture / Daniil Trifonov
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaThe La Jolla Music Society presents celebrated Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov in a tour-de-force program that showcases his ferocious technical skill and expressive artistry. Join Dr. Brown-Montesano for a pre-concert Find out more »
Pre-Concert Conversation / Attacca Quartet
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Attacca Quartet unveils works from its second album devoted to the works of Pulitzer-prize winner Caroline Shaw. The new release, Evergreen, follows in the spirit of Attacca's 2020 album Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Israel Philharmonic Concert
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaThe Israel Philharmonic makes its first Orange County appearance in 14 years under the baton of its new Music Director Lahav Shani with an all-Prokofiev program, including music from the Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Tosca
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesTosca: Puccini's ultimate prima donna! This Opera for Educators session is open to the public, not just educators! Dr. Brown-Montesano will delve into the aesthetics of Italian “verismo” (“realism”) and Find out more »
Final Pre-Concert Lecture / Lucia di Lammermoor
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLucia is trapped in an impossible situation. Her abusive brother hates the man she loves. Worse, he's forcing her to marry someone else in a last-ditch effort to shore up Find out more »
Opera for Educators / Rhiannon Gidden’s Omar
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesRhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels bring their new opera—Omar—to Los Angeles. This presentation is open to the public, not just educators! Co-presentation with Dr. Tiffany Kuo on the sounds of contemporary Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lectures / Lucia di Lammermoor
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLucia is trapped in an impossible situation. Her abusive brother hates the man she loves. Worse, he's forcing her to marry someone else in a last-ditch effort to shore up Find out more »
Podcast / Female Leads in Opera
PodcastIn this episode of Los Angeles Opera's podcast series, Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano discusses the multifaceted female leads in the company's 2022-2023 season: Lucia, Tosca, Desdemona, Susanna, Mélisande. Season and single tickets available Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Point Counterpoint
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaPoint Counterpoint. In music this generally refers to a regulated and artistic method of combining two or more independent musical lines. More broadly, the term suggests contrast and enhanced clarity Find out more »
UpBeat Live / Power to the People!
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesPower to the People! Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano will interview Angélica Negrón, whose Moriviví is a world premiere and LA Phil commission. A multi-talented Puerto Rico-born artist, Ms. Negrón has composed for a vast Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Behzod Abduraimov
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La JollaBehzod Abduraimov joins the La Jolla Music Society Piano Series, where Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano presents "Sources of Inspiration: a look at extramusical influences on composition." Concert program includes: PRICE Fantasie Negre Find out more »
Concert Intro / The Hunt
Mar Vista, CAThe Hunt. Why is Mozart's String Quartet No. 17 given this nickname? We will explore the hunting sounds that Mozart may have heard and how they turn up in the Find out more »
UpBeat Live / Fidelio with Deaf West Theatre
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesFidelio—Beethoven's only opera—continues to lend itself to dramatic innovation. Join me for Upbeat Live, where we review Fidelio’s history and prepare this new semi-staged collaboration between the LA Phil's and Find out more »
“Rescuing” Carmen Talk / Gender Sounds
ZoomGender Sounds is an initiative coordinated by the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya Department of Cultural and Musical Studies. I'm thrilled to be one of five invited speakers—an international line-up Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Lang Lang’s Goldberg
Balboa Theater 868 Fourth Ave, San DiegoLang Lang and the Goldberg Variations. Always the same, always different. The essence of Bach’s Goldberg Variations turns on this fundamental tension: a perpetual bass line connecting the initial aria melody with 30 Find out more »
Pre-Concert Lecture / La Jolla Music Society
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaBeatrice Rana, known for ferocious technique and musical intelligence, presents a program on laughter and lessons from the "City of Lights." In her delightful La Jolla Music Society program, Rana explores Find out more »
St. Matthew Passion / Opera for Educators
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAs prep for Bach's St. Matthew Passion and LA Opera's innovative presentation (complete with choreography), K-12 educators participate in a special half-day seminar. I am one several guest lecturers, and—speaking educator Find out more »
Concert for Fifth Grade / OC Phil Society
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaFifth grade is a tough sell for classical music. But I'm thrilled to return to one of my favorite gigs: narrating an Orange County Youth Symphony concert for local 5th graders. Find out more »
LA Phil / Salonen, Strauss + 2 Premieres
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesJoin Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano for UpBeat Live to explore this Esa-Pekka Salonen-led program featuring two exciting premieres. Salonen’s own Fog (a tribute to Frank Gehry) takes as inspiration the Bach Find out more »
Pre-Concert Video / Handel’s Alcina
YouTubeKristi Brown-Montesano is featured in a pre-recorded video lecture for this Baroque music can't-miss performance. Conductor Harry Bicket and The English Concert (a period instrument orchestra) make their first LA Opera appearance in Find out more »
Free LAO Zoom Class / How to Build an Opera
ZoomThis Week's Topic - How to Build an Opera: from Overture to Scene For this final session, we will look at the how Rossini and Wagner put their operas together—their Find out more »
Free LAO Zoom Class / Bel Canto Dramedy
ZoomThis Week's Topic - Bel Canto “Dramedy”: Mixed Musical Styles in Cenerentola By the time he wrote Cenerentola, Rossini had already mastered a wildly successful comic style and had proven Find out more »
Free LAO Zoom Class / Musical Artist as Hero
ZoomThis Week's Topic - The Musical Artist as German Hero: Romanticism, Myth, and Wagner’s Tannhäuser This week we will delve into the two medieval stories that Wagner combined for his Find out more »
Free LAO Zoom Class / Rossini & Wagner
ZoomThis Week's Topic - A Tale of Two Opera Composers We will explore the careers of Rossini and Wagner up to 1850 in the context of European opera cultures—French, German, Find out more »
Da Camera Society Podcast / Ethel Smyth
PodcastPodcast forthcoming. Will announce when posted. This Da Camera Society-produced podcast explores the life and music Ethel Smyth, a composer, feminist activist and writer whose massive oratorio The Prison won the 2020 Find out more »
SFO Podcast / Cosi Fan Tutti
PodcastExploring Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutti This episode of San Francisco Opera's podcast North Stage Door takes listeners backstage to examine the dynamic 18th century duo of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Find out more »
LAO Podcast / Stravinsky’s Oedipus
PodcastIn this Behind the Curtain conversation, musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown Montesano and Dr. Arianne Helou, a dramaturg and French studies scholar, discuss "Oedipus Rex," composed by Igor Stravinsky to a Find out more »
Pre-Concert Livestream / Yefim Bronfman
LivestreamLa Jolla Music Society livestreams their featured artist, Yefim Bronfman presenting a program of Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin. As context for tonight's program, Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano presents a pre-concert lecture Find out more »
Zoom Course / Interwar Period Musical Culture
ZoomDr. Kristi Brown-Montesano will guide LA Opera Board members through an exploration of music from the interwar period (1919—1939), an era that witnessed an astonishing variety of aesthetic and stylistic Find out more »
LA Opera Blog / Women’s History Month
For Women's History Month this year, the LA Opera's community engagement theme is "Choose to Challenge." I am honored to announce LA Opera invited me to this important discussion a Find out more »
Zoom Course / Music Between the Wars
ZoomThe Colburn Community School invites you to join Colburn Conservatory of Music’s Chair of Music History and Literature Kristi Brown-Montesano in an exploration of music from the interwar period (1919—1939), Find out more »
LA Opera for Educators / Women of Don Giovanni
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesDon Giovanni. This infamous rake poses interesting challenges for audiences in the #MeToo era. And certainly K-12 educators are conscious of those issues as they introduce this Mozart classic to Find out more »
Zoom Course / Exploring Beethoven’s Ninth
ZoomBeethoven's Ninth is iconic. But why does it persist as a cultural touchstone, well into the 21st century? This is my inaugural Zoom course for the Colburn Community School. So Find out more »
Zoom Class / Violin Bootcamp + Music History
Thayer Hall, The Colburn School 200 Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAs many of you know, Colburn has a Community School whose mission is training the next generation of musicians and patrons. This summer I have the pleasure of teaching in Find out more »
Marriage of Figaro / Opera for Educators
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesI 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). Find out more »
CANCELED / Invited Rehearsal / Norman Prokoviev LA Phil
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesCanceled 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, Find out more »
FB Live-stream Lunch / Beethoven String Quartet Op. 59 (2)
Colburn FB Live-streamColburn 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 Find out more »
FB Live-stream Lunch / Beethoven & Calidore Quartet
Colburn FB Live-streamColburn 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 Find out more »
CANCELED / Concert 7 / Salon de Musiques
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomCanceled 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 Find out more »
CANCELED / Mason House / Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler
Mar Vista, CACanceled 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 Find out more »
CANCELED / Double Requiem / LA Phil Upbeat Live
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesCanceled 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 Find out more »
Opera 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 Find out more »
News / Mozart on TV?
Reimaging Wolfgang's life through a TV entertainment lens? Could be interesting. I've been asked to participate as a music history Special Advisor on an TV project aimed at reimagine Mozart's Find out more »
Invited Rehearsal / Ives Dvorak LA Phil
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesAs 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 Find out more »
Opera Wilmington Symposium / Keynote Address
Beckwith Recital Hall - UNC Wilmington Cultural Arts Building, WilmingtonOpera 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 Find out more »
Keynote / New Media & Opera Future Tense
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesTwitter. Podcasts. Social networking. How should new media and opera intersect? LA Opera Connect's first academic conference proposes this important question. I'm pleased to announce that on February 14th, I Find out more »
LA Opera / Team Eurydice
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los AngelesOur newest—and possibly most inventive—opera retelling of Eurydice's story premieres this month. And with it, the LA Opera hosts a larger discussion regarding women in opera. I'm pleased to be Find out more »
Invited Rehearsal / Weimar & LA Phil
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesWeimar 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 Find out more »
Invited Rehearsal / Beethoven & LA Phil
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los AngelesInvited 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 Find out more »
Water and Music / OC Youth Orchestra
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa MesaMusic 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 Find out more »
Bach to Piazzolla / Mason House Concert
Mar Vista, CAPiazzolla, 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 Find out more »
Russian Chamber Music / Salon de Musiques
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomThree 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 Find out more »
Notre Dame HS / Exploring “Classical” Music
I will be leading a talk at my daughter's alma mater, Notre Dame Academy. It's a great opportunity to talk with young scholars about all things classical music: how it's Find out more »
Prism V / Bach, Webern, Beethoven – Danish String Quartet
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaThe 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. Find out more »
Prism IV / Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven – Danish String Quartet
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaThe 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. Find out more »
Prism III / Bach, Bartók, Beethoven – Danish String Quartet
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaThe 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. Find out more »
10th Anniversary / Le Salon de Musiques
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 5th floor banquet roomHappy 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 Find out more »
Subscriber Appreciation / LA Phil
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallSubscribers 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 Find out more »
Concerto Winner / Colburn Orchestra
The Ambassador Auditorium - Pasadena 131 S. St. John Ave, PasadenaColburn'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 Find out more »
SummerFest Finale / Nicholas McGegan
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaThe 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 Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques / Brahms & Beethoven
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomLe 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 Find out more »
LA Phil / Double Mass Program
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallUpBeat 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 Find out more »
La Jolla Music Society / Finckel & Han
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaPrelude 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 Find out more »
LA Phil / Salonen Conducts Respighi
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallUpbeat 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 Find out more »
La Jolla Music Society / Shaham & Eguchi
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La JollaPrelude 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 Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques / Violin, Cello and Piano
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomThe 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. Find out more »
LA Opera League / La Clemenza di Tito
Thayer Hall, The Colburn School 200 Grand Avenue, Los AngelesLA 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 Find out more »
Mason 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 Find out more »
La Jolla Music Society / Danish String Quartet
The Auditorium - The Scripps Research Institute 10620 John J Hopkins Dr, San DiegoLJMS 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 Find out more »
Salon de Musiques / Norway, Finland, England
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomJoin 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. Find out more »
Women in Music Festival
Mount St. Mary's University 12001 Chalon Rd, Los AngelesShowcasing 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 Find out more »
Salon de Musique / Composers of 19th c. Paris
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomJoin 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. Find out more »
Colburn Orchestra at the Ambassador: Pre-Concert Talk
The Ambassador Auditorium - Pasadena 131 S. St. John Ave, PasadenaLearn 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 Find out more »
Conference: Bach on Screen
Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OhioOrganized 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 Find out more »
LA Opera: “Opera for Educators” Seminar
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - 5th Floor Banquet RoomLecture on the Orpheus myth and the history of opera as part of LA Opera's professional-development program for LAUSD educators.
LA Phil Upbeat Live / “Dudamel conducts Brahms”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallPreconcert 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 Find out more »
LA Phil “Green Umbrella” Concert: Upbeat Live lecture
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallPre-concert lecture for an evening of outstanding new works led by Principal Guest Conductor Susanna Mälkki and featuring the LA Phil New Music Group.
Mason House Concerts
Mar Vista, CAI 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 Find out more »
Le Salon de Musiques: From Russia with Love
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 5th floor banquet roomA 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 Find out more »
Debut! LA Philharmonic’s “Upbeat Live”
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert HallVery 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 Find out more »