Read the press release in PDF.

Berkeley, CA – March 26, 2012 – The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced on March 22 its decision to award Berkeley Symphony $150,000 over a three-year period. The grant will support the Symphony’s general operations, including subscription concert programming, collaborations with world-class artists, and commissioning of local and international composers.  The grant also supports the award-winning Music in the Schools education program, bringing professional musicians and symphonic music to Berkeley elementary schools.

“We are extremely grateful for the generous support we’ve received from The Hewlett Foundation,” says Executive Director René Mandel, “To be a grantee of one of the most prestigious and selective charitable foundations in the country is a great honor. This grant enables [Music Director] Joana to continue her truly dynamic and engaging programming. Bringing in the best composers and soloists from the Bay Area, the nation, and the world is a top priority for us, and this grant will be invaluable as we continue these efforts.”

Founded in 1969 as the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony has established a reputation for presenting major new works for orchestra alongside fresh interpretations of the classic European repertoire. Berkeley Symphony has been recognized in eight of the past ten seasons with an Award for Adventurous Programming from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). In addition to its subscription concerts and Under Construction new music series, Berkeley Symphony regularly partners with Cal Performances to provide music for visiting artists. Berkeley Symphony’s award-winning, year-long Music in the Schools program reaches every public elementary school student in Berkeley. San Francisco public radio station KALW 91.7 FM is Berkeley Symphony’s broadcast partner, airing all Berkeley Symphony subscription concerts.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, the environment, global development and population, performing arts, and philanthropy, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For more information about Berkeley Symphony, visit www.berkeleysymphony.org.

The Orchestra’s one-of-a-kind Under Construction concert on January 22 features new works by three Bay Area composing talents

Read the press release in PDF.

Berkeley, CA – December 22, 2011 – Music Director Joana Carneiro and Berkeley Symphony, joined by young soloists from the Pacific Boychoir Academy, kick off the New Year with a concert of entrancement and triumph on Thursday, January 26, at 8 pm, in Zellerbach Hall. On the program are Debussy’s famous symphonic poem, Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, French composer Henri Dutilleux’s The Shadows of Time, and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. Tickets for the concert are $20-$60. Pre-concert talk begins at 7:10 pm; admission is free for all ticket holders. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (510) 841-2800 or visit www.berkeleysymphony.org.

The evening begins with Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, one of the most exquisite instrumental fantasies of the late nineteenth century. Based on a poem written by Stéphane Mallarmé, this symphonic prelude has even been called a turning point in classical music by composer and conductor Pierre Boulez. Henri Dutilleux’s The Shadows of Time, a stark contrast to the Prélude, was inspired by the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II in 1995 and of the discovery of Anne Frank’s diary. It unfolds in five poignant orchestral episodes and features three talented students from the Pacific Boychoir Academy. The concert concludes with Berkeley Symphony’s first performance of Shostakovich’s triumphant Fifth Symphony, written in response to the oppression of Stalin’s Great Terror.

“What a beginning to an exciting new year!” said Carneiro. “Not only is [Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune] one of the most important symphonic works of the century, but Debussy creates the air of seduction and dreaming like no other composer could. Dutilleux’s piece highly contrasts, but is just as colorful and riveting, especially with our talented young soloists… Shostakovich is a particular favorite of mine. His Fifth Symphony, with its beauty, its exuberance, and its haunted lines, is one of the most thrilling orchestral works to perform.”

The Pacific Boychoir Academy is an internationally recognized boychoir and school. Having recently won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Album in 2004, the choir has toured and performed all across the United States, Europe, South America, and Australia. They have frequently appeared with the San Francisco Symphony as well as with many University of California choirs and in Berkeley Symphony’s Choral Festival.

In addition to the main stage Zellerbach Hall concert, Joana Carneiro will conduct the Orchestra’s unique Under Construction new music concert on Sunday, January 22, at 7 pm, at St. John Presbyterian Church in Berkeley. Part of the year-long mentorship program for Bay Area’s emerging composers, the concert features the orchestra bringing to life the works-in-progress of Nils Bultman, Evelyn Ficarra, and Noah Luna. Audience members are invited to join in on the collaborative process of composition during this concert and can learn more about the composers’ progress and insights on their blog, at: underconstructioncomposers.wordpress.com.

The January 26 concert is made possible by the generous support of
Concert Sponsors James and Rhonda Donato, and Ed Osborn.

Grant part of NEA announcement of 863 grants and $22.543 million in funding nationwide

Read the press release in PDF.

Berkeley, CA – November 21, 2011 – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced that the agency will award 863 grants to organizations and individual writers across the country. Berkeley Symphony is one of the grantees and will receive $15,000 for the commissions and premieres of Steven Stucky and Paul Dresher. The 863 grant awards total $22.543 million, encompass 15 artistic disciplines and fields, and support projects in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

This project features two award-winning composers, Steven Stucky and Paul Dresher. Both are commissioned to write new works for Berkeley Symphony, to be premiered in the 2012-13 season. Stucky’s collaboration will be an extended residency program over the course of the season, while Dresher’s work will feature two of his unique invented instruments, the Quadrachord and the Hurdy Grande. The former is a stringed instrument resembling a guitar, which can be plucked or bowed. The latter resembles an oversized Hurdy-Gurdy. Both composers will also act as mentors for the participants of Berkeley Symphony’s Under Construction project.

Founded in 1969 as the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony has established a reputation for presenting major new works for orchestra alongside fresh interpretations of the classic European repertoire. Berkeley Symphony has been recognized in seven of the past nine seasons with an Award for Adventurous Programming from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). In addition to its subscription concerts and Under Construction new music series, Berkeley Symphony regularly partners with Cal Performances to provide music for visiting artists. Berkeley Symphony’s award-winning, year-long Music in the Schools program reaches every public elementary school student in Berkeley. San Francisco public radio station KALW 91.7 FM is Berkeley Symphony’s broadcast partner, airing all Berkeley Symphony subscription concerts.

In March 2011, the NEA received 1,686 eligible applications for Art Works requesting more than $84 million in funding. The resulting funding rate of 49 percent of eligible applications reflects both the significant demand for support and the ongoing vitality of the not-for-profit arts community despite current financial challenges. Art Works grants are awarded based on the applications received by the NEA and how those applications are assessed by the review panels.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA web site at arts.gov.

Read the press release in PDF.

Berkeley, CA – November 14, 2011 – A leading edge in presenting fresh and unusual works for orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, joined by celebrated Bay Area pianist Sarah Cahill, will perform Lou Harrison’s exuberant Piano Concerto on Thursday, December 8, at 8 pm, in Zellerbach Hall. The program, also featuring Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 and Chinese composer Lei Liang’s Verge, written for eighteen strings, will be led by guest conductor Jayce Ogren. Tickets for the concert are $20-$60; for more information or to purchase tickets, call (510) 841-2800 or visit www.berkeleysymphony.org.

The concert begins with a West Coast premiere of Verge by Lei Liang, the winner of the 2011 Rome Prize. The work, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in 2009, is imbued with a distinctive Mongolian sound. The orchestra continues the evening performance with a rare presentation of Lou Harrison’s Piano Concerto with Sarah Cahill as soloist. The work showcases the inventive musical spirit of this quintessential California composer, who was known for his melding of Eastern and Western musical elements, and for his experimental work with alternative tunings. Finally, Sibelius’s triumphant Symphony No. 5 concludes the program.

Praised by the New York Times as a “fiercely gifted” pianist, guest artist Sarah Cahill is known for her performances of works by the 20th-century American modernists such as Lou Harrison and Henry Cowell. She has collaborated with composers such as John Adams, Terry Riley, and Julia Wolfe; appeared at Merkin Hall, Miller Theatre and Le Poisson Rouge in New York, as well as the Pacific Crossings Festival in Tokyo; and performed with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. Most recently, she premiered a project in the Cal Performances series at UC Berkeley. She is also a faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Jayce Ogren joins Berkeley Symphony as guest conductor after recently finishing his term as the assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. He has made debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, and the New York City Opera. A Native of Hoquiam, Washington, he holds degrees from St. Olaf College, New England Conservatory, and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden.

The December 8 is made possible by the generous support of
Concert Sponsors James and Rhonda Donato, and Ed Osborn.

Read the press release in PDF.

Berkeley, CA – November 4, 2011 – Berkeley Symphony announces the selections for its 2011-12 Under Construction Composers program, designed to provide an opportunity for the Bay Area’s emerging composers to work with a professional orchestra. Three selected composers—Nils Bultmann, Noah Luna, and Evelyn Ficarra—will each write a symphonic work to be read and performed by Berkeley Symphony at the Under Construction New Music Concerts on Sundays, January 22 and April 29, 2012, at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley.

Nils Bultmann (www.nilsbultmann.com) is a UC Berkeley doctoral student in music composition.  His versatile background ranges from studying German literature as an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to performing with the New World Symphony under conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and recording and touring with jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell. Noah Luna (www.noahluna.com) received his Master’s Degree in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Conrad Susa. He currently works as part of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra’s Incredible Shrinking Orchestra Project. Evelyn Ficarra (www.cnmat.berkeley.edu/people/evelyn_ficarra) has written music for dance theater, experimental film, installation, radio and the concert hall. She has had a strong focus on electro-acoustic and collaborative work but is increasingly drawn to large scale instrumental form. She recently earned a PhD in Composition from UC Berkeley.

Under Construction is Berkeley Symphony’s unique open rehearsal and performance series in which audiences hear works-in-progress played for the first time. Designed as a reading session and showcase for the Bay Area’s composing talents, the program provides a rare and invaluable opportunity for emerging composers to further develop their skills and gain practical experience in writing for a professional orchestra. Each selected composer will workshop and complete one large symphonic work during the year-long mentorship program, as well as receive artistic and career guidance from the Symphony’s artistic staff, musicians, and visiting composers. The two Under Construction concerts are formatted to build upon one another: the orchestra will test-drive the works-in-progress and experiment with different musical passage at the first concert to enable the complete, polished piece to be performed at the second concert.

For more information, visit: www.berkeleysymphony.org/education/uccp.

The Opening Night Gala Dinner honors Robert Commanday, founder of the San Francisco Classical Voice and former chief music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read the press release in PDF.

BERKELEY, CA – October 3, 2011 – Music Director Joana Carneiro and Berkeley Symphony kick off their 2011-12 season with an impassioned program of music by Enrico Chapela, Brahms, and Shostakovich, featuring one of classical music’s newest sensations, cellist Johannes Moser, on Thursday, October 27, at 7 pm, in Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. A winner of the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition, Moser has been hailed by the Gramophone Magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists.” Tickets for the concert are $20-$60; for more information or to purchase tickets, call (510) 841-2800 or visit www.berkeleysymphony.org.

The concert begins with a special piano tribute to the late Berkeley civic leader, Harry Weininger, written and performed by Gabriela Lena Frank. Music Director Joana Carneiro then leads the orchestra in Enrico Chapela’s Li Po for orchestra and electronic soundtrack. Chapela was introduced to Berkeley Symphony in the 2010-11 season as the first commissioned composer under Carneiro’s tenure. His genre-bending piece, inspired by Mexican poet José Juan Tablada’s poem about the 8th century Chinese poet Li Po, is followed by Brahms’ most intimate and poetic symphony – Symphony No. 3. The concert concludes with the orchestra and Johannes Moser performing Shostakovich’s gripping First Cello Concerto.

“This concert program marks a truly exciting start of an incredible season,” said Carneiro. “Enrico Chapela’s work for orchestra and electronic soundtrack is both colorful and riveting. The piece is a wonderful contrast to Brahms’ lyrical Symphony No. 3, and promises to offer a different yet refreshing aural experience to its listeners. The orchestra and I are also thrilled to perform Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto with Johannes Moser, who is one of the most sought-after classical music rising stars today.”

The opening night festivity continues following the concert performance with a dinner party celebrating the new season and honoring journalist Robert Commanday, long-time Chief Music Critic of the San Francisco Chronicle and founder of the San Francisco Classical Voice. The Opening Night Gala Dinner will take place on the Zellerbach Hall Mezzanine at 9 pm. The tickets are $150-$600. For more information and to purchase tickets to the Gala Dinner, contact Maya Lawrence at (510) 841-2800 x301 or mlawrence@berkeleysymphony.org. Concert tickets are sold separately.

Since winning the top prize at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition, Johannes Moser has since appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, performing in London, Florence, and Berlin, with Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, and Valery Gergiev. Most recently, he made his debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony. He also toured the U.S. with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra and is a frequent collaborator with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is also quickly gaining a reputation for his exquisite performances of lesser-known repertoire. His passion for new music has brought him much attention from leading conductors such as Pierre Boulez, who invited him to make his U.S. debut with the Chicago Symphony in 2005, premiering Bernard Rand’s Cello Concerto. Moser’s interest in the electric cello also inspired a number of composers to write for this instrument, including Enrico Chapela, whose electric cello concerto was commissioned and recently premiered by the LA Philharmonic, with Moser as soloist.

Robert Commanday, better known as Bob, was the San Francisco Chronicle’s Music and Dance Critic for nearly 30 years until 1993. He served as president of the Music Critic Association of North America and received numerous awards including the Deems Taylor Award for Music Criticism and the John Swett Awardfor service to education. Following his retirement from the Chronicle, Mr. Commanday founded SanFrancisco Classical Voice (SFCV), the Bay Area’s pioneering website journal of classical music criticism, in1993. The website is now the go-to place for classical music news in the Bay Area. Early in his career, Mr. Commanday was a member and conductor of the UC Glee Club and Treble Clef Society from 1950 to 1963.

The 2011-12 season opening concert is made possible by the generous support of
Concert Sponsors Ellen Hahn, in loving Memory of Roger Hahn; and Janet & Marcos Maestre
Additional support provided by The Zellerbach Family Foundation
Season Sponsors Kathleen G. Henschel and Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc

Read the press release in PDF.

BERKELEY, CA – July 25, 2011 – Berkeley Symphony Board of Directors today announced the selection of its new executive director, René Mandel, to head the 42-year-old organization. His appointment is the culmination of a nationwide search that began in April. Mandel will succeed current Executive Director James Kleinmann, who served Berkeley Symphony since 2006, and assume his duties with the orchestra on August 1.

René Mandel was Berkeley Symphony’s Artistic Administrator and Orchestra Manager from 2006 to 2009, and principal second violin in the orchestra. During his tenure, he administered areas concerning the hiring of musicians and soloists, managed the concert programming and successfully aided in the artistic expansion of the orchestra. Most recently, he served as the Director of Artistic Operations/Executive Producer at the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, one of Canada’s leading orchestras. While there, he effectively implemented Music Director Kent Nagano’s creative vision for artistic projects and long-range planning, managed the artistic budget, and oversaw the orchestra’s concert programming and production.

“We are very pleased to have René join us as Executive Director,” commented Tom Reicher, the president-elect of the Berkeley Symphony Board of Directors. “His experience as both a musician and an arts administrator will enable him to lead the business side of Berkeley Symphony and help the Symphony to continue its tradition of innovative concert programming and education of young people.”

“It’s a privilege to be returning to Berkeley Symphony, a Bay Area jewel,” commented Mandel. “I am honored to be entrusted with the stewardship of Joana Carneiro’s bold and passionate artistic vision. I look forward to working hand in hand with Joana, the musicians, staff and Board to deepen our relationship with the community and to build upon the success of this fine orchestra.” Music Director Joana Carneiro, who first met Mandel during the Music Director search that brought her on board three years ago, stated, “I’m delighted to welcome René as the new executive director. He is a leader with a deep knowledge of music and an infectious passion for the orchestra, and I’m eagerly looking forward to our creative partnership together.”

Berkeley Symphony’s 2011-12 Season will open on Thursday, October 27, at UC Berkeley Zellerbach Hall. The program includes Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, featuring Johannes Moser, and Enrico Chapela’s Li Po for orchestra and electronic soundtrack. Season subscriptions on sale now. For additional information, please visit www.berkeleysymphony.org, or call (510) 841-2800.

Read the press release in PDF.

Highlights of the 42nd season include a world premiere commission by Gabriela Lena Frank, featuring soprano Jessica Rivera and the San Francisco Girls Chorus; the West Coast premiere of work by Lei Liang; and collaborations with cellist Johannes Moser, pianist Sarah Cahill, and guest conductor Jayce Ogren

BERKELEY, CA – June 7, 2011 – Music Director Joana Carneiro today unveils programming plans for Berkeley Symphony’s 2011-12 Season, her third with the Orchestra since assuming the music directorship in 2009. The upcoming season, highlighted by one world premiere commission, one West Coast premiere, and works by today’s leading composers and their forebears, in exciting collaborations with visionary artists both local and abroad, exemplifies the orchestra’s adventurous spirit and steadfast commitment to presenting original, thought-provoking programs, as well as its role as a champion of artists and composers of our generation.

“We look forward to a season of artistic exchange and collaboration,” says Joana Carneiro. “Part of Berkeley Symphony’s legacy as the leading edge in symphonic music is this special musical relationship and trust we have developed with artists, musicians, and the community. Artists are encouraged to pursue their creative instincts at Berkeley Symphony, and we are proud to be a part of an adventurous community that not only gives us the freedom to dream of, but also to realize, daring and unusual programming.”

Berkeley Symphony will continue to host its Under Construction New Music Reading Series in the 2011-12 Season, fostering an appreciation of modern symphonic music among a new generation of listeners. The Series’ professional development component, the Under Construction Composers Program, now in its second season, led by the orchestra’s Creative Advisor Gabriela Lena Frank, serves as an artistic incubator for emerging Bay Area composers to experiment with symphonic music writing and to cultivate skills essential to all working composers today.

Additionally, as a community leader in music education, Berkeley Symphony will expand its Music in the Schools (MITS) program to focus on strengthening both the music scholarship and teaching experience for the eleven participating elementary schools in the Berkeley Unified School District.