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 »
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 »
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 / 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 / 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 »
Pre-Concert Video / Handel’s Alcina
YouTube , United StatesKristi 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 »
LA Phil / Salonen, Strauss + 2 Premieres
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesJoin 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 »
Concert for Fifth Grade / OC Phil Society
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesFifth 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 »
St. Matthew Passion / Opera for Educators
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesAs 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 »
Pre-Concert Lecture / La Jolla Music Society
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall @ The Conrad 7600 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA, United StatesBeatrice 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 »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Lang Lang’s Goldberg
Balboa Theater 868 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA, United StatesLang 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 »
“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 »
UpBeat Live / Fidelio with Deaf West Theatre
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesFidelio—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 »
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 »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Behzod Abduraimov
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesBehzod 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 »
UpBeat Live / Power to the People!
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesPower 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 / Point Counterpoint
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesPoint 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 »
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 Lectures / Lucia di Lammermoor
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesLucia 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 Angeles, United StatesRhiannon 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 »
Final Pre-Concert Lecture / Lucia di Lammermoor
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesLucia 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 / Tosca
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesTosca: 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 »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Israel Philharmonic Concert
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Pre-Concert Conversation / Attacca Quartet
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Prelude Lecture / Daniil Trifonov
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
“Insights” Lecture and Interview / Pasadena Symphony
The Ambassador Auditorium - Pasadena 131 S. St. John Ave, Pasadena, CA, United StatesFor 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 »
Pre-performance Lectures: LA Opera’s “Tosca” (all performances)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesThe 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 »
UpBeat Live /The Nutcracker with Dudamel
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesGustavo 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 »
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 »
Opera for Educators: Le nozze di Figaro
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesCalling 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 »
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 »
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 #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 #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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Pierre-Laurent Aimard
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Irvine Barclay Theater 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA, United StatesIt'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 »
Opera for Educators / Pelléas et Mélisande
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesThe 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
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Igor Levit
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesI'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 »
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 »
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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesFor 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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Alice Sara Ott
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesI 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 »
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 »
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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesI 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 »
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 »
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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Isata Kanneh-Mason
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesOpening 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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Isabel Leonard and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesI 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 »
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-performance Lectures: LA Opera’s “The Barber of Seville” (all performances)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesJoin 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 »
Pre-Concert Lecture / Alexander Malofeev, piano
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
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 Jolla, CA, United StatesI'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 »
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 Beach, CA, United StatesPresented 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 »
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 Angeles, United StatesLed 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 17)
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesLed 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 Angeles, United StatesLed 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 19)
Disney Hall 111 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesLed 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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Seong-Jin Cho
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesMy 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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Lucas & Arthur Jussen
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesChampioning 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 »
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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesVive 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 »
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 »
Lecture Presentation: Committee of Professional Women/LA Phil Association
St. Bede's Episcopal Church 3590 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesI'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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
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 »
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 »
Preconcert Lecture: Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony
McCallum Theatre 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA, United StatesMusic 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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
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 »
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 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 Goose Suite, 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 »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “La Traviata”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesI 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 »
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 »
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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Yefim Bronfman
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesSuperstar 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Invited Panelist on Public Musicology: “Music in Dialogue” Conference at UCLA
Schoenberg Music Building 445 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesMy 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 »
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 »
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 »
Prelude Lecture: La Jolla Music Society presents Bruce Liu
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesMy 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 »
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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
Association of California Symphonies and Orchestras Conference: Panel on Expanding Audiences and Programming
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA 50 Third Street, San Francisco, CA, United StatesI 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 »
Prelude Lecture: “Baroque Fantasia” (La Jolla Music Society SummerFest 2024)
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesLove 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 »
Prelude Lecture: “Resilience” (La Jolla Music Society SummerFest 2024)
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesAnother 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 »
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 »
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 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 League of Los Angeles: Seminar on Puccini’s legacy (Puccini100 celebration)
Thayer Hall, The Colburn School 200 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesThe 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 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 »
Le Salon de Musiques: Concert Intro and postconcert Q&A
La Jolla Women's Club 7791 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesIt'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 »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesAh, 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 »
La Jolla Music Society: Hélène Grimaud
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesI'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 Angeles, United StatesAh, 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 »
Pre-performance Lecture: LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesAh, 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 Angeles, United StatesAh, 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 Jolla, CA, United StatesHeading 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 »
Prelude Lecture / La Jolla Music Society
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA, United StatesOutstanding 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 »
Narrating “Concerts for Fifth Grade” / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, United StatesThe 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 »
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 »