adaptations on november 2/3: Explore the interplay of arts and culture

Classical music is always evolving, always being transformed by its many interpretations. Our Adaptations concert on November 2/3 will take us to a higher level of insight. Join Santa Cruz Symphony and Music Director Daniel Stewart as we explore the interplay of culture and art with works by Antonín Dvořák, Erich Korngold, and Josef Sekon.

Our dazzling soloist Nancy Zhou, Santa Cruz Symphony's own Artist in Residence and Concertmaster, will perform Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto—a piece originally premiered by famed violinist Jascha Heifetz. We'll also present the world premiere of Spin by Santa Cruz composer Josef Sekon. Finally, Antonín Dvořák's vibrant and lyrical Symphony no. 8 will blend Bohemian folk influences with lush Romantic orchestration, showcasing the composer's mastery of melody and orchestration.

This will be an unforgettable program to enchant your senses and elevate your spirit!

Free open rehearsal of Adaptations:

Friday, November 1 at 7:30 PM at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
No reservations required

Evening performance of Adaptations:

Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 PM at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
Pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM 

Matinee performance of Adaptations:

Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 PM at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville
Pre-concert talk at 1:00 PM 

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Wish you could still get Symphony season tickets? Mini-subs are available now! 

If you missed the chance to get season tickets, we invite you to check out our mini-subscription option for the remaining three classical series concerts in the season. You'll be entitled to all the same benefits of a full season subscription. Mini-subs are available to buy through Wednesday, October 30. Learn more here.

Our 2024-25 Musician Series Begins on Sunday, October 13 with Saul & Miles!

Join us on October 13 at 2 PM for the first performance in our 2024-25 Musician Series! We’re thrilled to feature Santa Cruz Symphony’s own stellar cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd along with pianist Miles Graber. The program will offer a blend of folk-inspired and classical romantic music with works by Chopin, Cassadó, Schumann, Tsintsadze, and Fauré.

If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing Saul perform, you know what a delightful musical experience he creates, especially in the intimate setting of Cabrillo College’s Samper Recital Hall. We’ll see you there!

WHEN: Sunday, October 13 at 2 PM
WHERE: Samper Recital Hall at Cabrillo College
TICKETS: Call Cabrillo Box Office at 831-479-6154 or click the button below to purchase tickets online

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ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Saul Richmond-Rakerd is a San Francisco-based cellist, and a member of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra since 2023. At the age of nine, Saul began his cello studies in his hometown of Okemos, Michigan, and continued to study it alongside piano until he concluded high school. He went on to Brown University, where he received degrees in both Physics and Anthropology. While there, he also completed the Applied Music Program, served as principal of the Brown University Orchestra, performed as a soloist, and played regularly with several chamber music groups. After graduating, Saul decided to immerse himself in music full-time, and so, after attending the Castleton Music Festival in 2013, he moved to Florence, Italy to pursue a Biennio di Violoncello, and to play professionally as principal cellist of the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana. After completion of his diploma, he moved to San Francisco in 2015 in order to begin a Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory under the tutelage of Jennifer Culp – a degree that he completed in December 2016.

Throughout his career, Saul has enjoyed playing in a wide range of settings. He has played as a concerto soloist with the Civic Symphony of San Francisco, Okemos Symphony Orchestra, and the Brown University Orchestra, as well as in numerous recitals both in the US and abroad. He has been awarded First Prize at the Barbara Fritz Chamber Music Award (2016), First Prize at the Luigi Boccherini Chamber Music Competition in Lucca, Italy (2016), Second Prize at the Dorothy Van Waynen Competition for Strings (2016), Primo Arco Premio (2014), Weston Prize for the Arts (2013), and the Buxtehude Premium Prize in Music (2012). 

Saul has been a member of many ensembles, both traditional and non. He is an active performer of chamber music throughout the Bay Area, and he is also currently a member of Luminance, a cello-harp-trumpet trio drawing on Latin, classical, and jazz roots. He was a founding member of both the Capitoline Trio and Quattro alla Volta, a cello quartet with whom he performed during his time in Italy. Saul greatly enjoys playing in symphonic settings as well, and has played with many different orchestras throughout his career in music. Alongside his work with San Francisco Ballet, he is an extra cellist with the San Francisco Opera, and currently serves as assistant principal cellist in the Santa Cruz Symphony, section cellist with the Monterey Symphony, and as co-principal cellist of One Found Sound. 

Miles Graber received his musical training at the Juilliard School. He has performed with numerous artists, including Sarah Chang, Cho-Liang Lin, Camilla Wicks, Axel Strauss, Mimi Stillman, Paula Robison, Zuill Bailey, Judith LeClair, Frederica von Stade, Christina Mok, Martha Aarons, and Lev Polyakin. Mr. Graber has been associated with such organizations as New Century Chamber Orchestra, Midsummer Mozart, Oakland Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Oakland Lyric Opera, Berkeley Opera, Opera San Jose, and California Symphony. His accompanying posts have included the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the San Domenico Conservatory, the Irving  M. Klein International String Competition, the Mondavi Young  Artist Competition, and Northern California Flute Camp. He is a member of the Alcyone Ensemble, Mira Trio, MusicAEterna, the Graham-Graber-Rose Trio, the Sor Ensemble, and Trio Foss.

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ABOUT THE COMPOSERS                                                

Gaspar Cassadó (1897–1966)
Suite for Solo Cello

Cassadó was an extremely accomplished cellist in his own right, and indeed was a close friend and colleague of legend Pablo Casals, until their views and levels of activism during World War II drove a rift between them. Cassadó remained in Italy postwar until his death, and was a well-respected cellist, composer, and educator. This Suite, written in the 1920s when he was a young man, draws on many folk tropes from his Spanish and Catalan heritage, and is proof of the virtuoso abilities of Cassadó himself.

Sulkhan Tsintsadze (1925–1991)
Five Pieces on Georgian Folk Themes

Tsintsadze was a cellist and prolific composer from Tbilisi, Georgia. He was a founding member of the Georgian State Quartet, and composed and educated throughout his life. To name just a small portion of his works, he wrote 3 cello concertos, 5 ballets, 4 symphonies, scores for at least 20 films, and much more. His work, however, was largely stuck behind the Iron Curtain, and is very rarely performed in the west. He wrote this set of Five Georgian Folk Pieces for Cello to exhibit the richness of the folk music traditions of Georgia, and you will see the cello imitating various traditional instruments of his region in this piece, as well as some incredibly beautiful and soulful Georgian melodies. Much like the Cassadó suite, you can see the talent level he must have had as a cellist himself when you hear this piece.

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102

A master of early German Romantic music, Schumann published later in his career several sets of small pieces, like these Five Pieces in Folk Style. While influenced by folk music traditions in his region, these melodies are all originally Schumann's and so create an interesting, romantic, and charming combination of styles.

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
Romance, Op. 69

Fauré was a pillar of the French Romantic movement, and in addition to his many large-scale works, he published many smaller pieces for cello and piano. The Romance is a beautiful morsel that showcases just how ahead of his time Fauré was. The harmonies and modulations he uses so frequently in such a short piece are positively jazzy, and a treat to listen to in combination with his French style. 

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65

Despite dying at a young age, Chopin was an incredibly influential composer in the Romantic movement. He famously composed a huge number of works for the piano. This Cello Sonata is one of only two pieces he ever composed that didn't feature the piano as the primary solo instrument! Despite that, he writes so beautifully and naturally for the cello that you will find yourself wishing that he wrote more for the instrument. It is one of the great Romantic cello sonatas, and one that showcases both instruments equally.  

Experience the power of live performance this weekend with philharmonia Fantastique!

Live musical performance transforms our emotions. Feel that power THIS WEEKEND with Philharmonia Fantastique! Beyond the brilliance and beauty of the music, these concerts offer a chance to connect with the technical excellence and artistic vision of three dynamic composers.

Click here to learn more about the program repertoire.

A towering figure in 19th-century music, Johannes Brahms had a profound and lasting effect on the classical tradition. His body of work, which includes symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and choral pieces, is celebrated for its emotional depth and thematic development. Brahms' ability to merge classical forms with new elements established him as a link between the classical and Romantic eras, reflecting a deep understanding of both tradition and innovation. Brahms' approach to composition was more self-aware and constructive than intuitive, and he knew that nothing is created without effort. As he said around the time of the completion of his first symphony: “That which you would call invention, that is to say a thought, an idea, is simply an inspiration from above…it is a present, a gift, which I ought even to despise until I have made it my own by right of hard work.”

Our featured composer Mason Bates has significantly impacted the world of classical and electronic music through his unique fusion of acoustic and electronic elements. His work often incorporates electronic effects and live sampling, reflecting the rhythms and textures of modern life. Known for his genre-defying approach, Bates blends traditional orchestration with current technology, creating vibrant, immersive soundscapes that challenge conventional boundaries. Bates created the music for The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, the most popular new opera in Santa Fe Opera's history and one of the top-selling operas in the company's history; it won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. He has been praised for his ability to infuse classical music with a fresh, dynamic energy, and his compositions continue to receive acclaim for their originality and relevance, reshaping how audiences experience orchestral music. "We don’t always think about the orchestra as a marvel of technology," he has said. "But it is very much one of the best examples of interactive technology we have.”

Martin Gaskell is a local Santa Cruz composer and astronomer who brings a special blend of scientific inquiry and musical artistry to his craft. His dual expertise allows him to create works that resonate with both the grandeur of the cosmos and the intricacies of human emotion. He finds that places and sights inspire his music, and that the music in turn brings up images of those scenes. While he does notice similarities between conducting scientific research and composing music, Gaskell tends to stay away from making his music too cerebral. He wants his music to be both pleasant to listen to and a reflection of the beauty God has created in the universe, both in the heavens above and here on Earth.

Classical Series Concert 1: Philharmonia Fantastique

Johannes Brahms: Symphony no. 1

Mason Bates: Philharmonia Fantastique

Martin Gaskell: Ceremonial Music

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2024 at 7:30 PM at Civic Auditorium

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Henry J. Mello Center