The ensemble created a special show for middle schoolers. We transported them from Austria to America, playing music from Renaissance to Ragtime. We took a detour to Argentina for a Tango!
Davidson Middle School
Double Fantasy
Fantasies by Benjamin Britten and Ernst John Moeran
Two ragtime pieces by Neal Desby and Vincent Russo
Richard Strauss’s only string trio
https://www.oldfirstconcerts.org
Strobe will perform movements of Visions, Water Colors, and Golden Gate Rag—music written for us by Vincent Russo, Alexis Alrich, and Neal Desby. The moods range from serious and serene to playful and fun.
https://www.throckmortontheatre.org/noonconcerts
Strobe is participating in The Social Distancing Festival with a live performance of Musings by Neal Desby. Here’s the link:
https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/music/nealdesby
The festival was started to share music, art, and more, from all corners of the globe. During these uncertain times, we are grateful to be a part of this.
For more on the festival, here’s their link:
Strobe was invited to play for a Day of Peace and Reconciliation at San Quentin Prison on January 29th. We performed a movement of Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, and included music by the three composers who have written for us, Vincent Russo, Neal Desby, and Alexis Alrich.
Alexis Alrich’s Water Colors was performed as part of a series on women composers.
We premiered Water Colors, a new piece written for us by Alexis Alrich, at Throckmorton Theater
We played for the residents of Piedmont Gardens, whose residents love music and have a thriving concert series. We played a movement of Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, and movements of the works by Alexis Alrich and Vincent Russo which we commissioned. We finished the program with Neal Desby’s light-hearted Golden Gate Rag.
Our first concert of the season was at the beautiful Swedenborg Church in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood. The church was built in 1895, and is a masterpiece of the Arts and Crafts movement, featuring beams in the ceiling made of untrimmed logs, and murals of the four seasons by William Keith.
Please note that this concert will actually be on the Third Sunday of September!
We played the world premiere of Vincent Russo's full, four-movement work, Visions and Visitations. Sketches of the first movement, Visions of Joan of Arc, have been performed, re-written and played again. All four movements are musical depictions of visions, dreams, and visitations by angels. They are:
I. Visions of Joan of Arc
II. Scherzo - Apocalypse: Meidner's Visions
III. Passacaglia - Lincoln's Dream
IV. Boehme's Vision - Aurora
Mr. Russo spoke at the performance about the historical and spiritual inspirations for the piece. It was an unusual and beautiful way to spend Mothers' Day afternoon!
KPFA featured us as part of their Women in Music program. There was a short interview, then we played Musings by Neal Desby, and Scherzo - Apocalypse: Meidner’s Vision from Vincent Russo’s Visions and Visitations. It was a wonderful way to preview the full, 4-movement work, which was premiered on May 13th at Community Concerts at Epworth.
Maestro Jean Louis LeRoux had begun his musical life as an oboist, and eventually became a conductor, leading the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. He was a friend, colleague, and neighbor, and we were honored to play the Adagio from the Mozart Oboe Quartet as part of the memorial and celebration of his life.
Strobe was part of a concert benefitting our neighbors in the North Bay. It was presented by Community Concerts at Epworth, where we performed later in the season.
Laura, Alicia, Caroline and Krisanthy
Strobe was pleased to be a part of SF Music Day again this year. We performed music from 1781 to 2016, with composer-in-residence Vincent Russo present to describe the first movement of his commission, Visions and Visitations, inspired by Joan of Arc.
The San Francisco Symphony's Silicon Valley League invited us to play for their meeting. The members are supreme music lovers, and performing for them is both an honor and a pleasure. Their musical program usually presents symphony members, but occasionally, other ensembles are invited to perform.
Our final bow for Music on the Hill. Thanks to Paul Gomory for the photo!
We were invited to play a program for the League, which presents musicians from the symphony, as well as other ensembles. We played the Britten Phantasy Quartet, as well as Neal Desby's Musings, and Vincent Russo's Visions of Joan of Arc. Mr. Russo was on hand to talk to the audience and take questions about the process of writing a piece of music. He spoke about how his personal experiences inspired him to choose this iconic medieval figure, and how he described her life through music.
Strobe performed at Presidio Sessions, a weekly Friday evening concert held at the historic Presidio Officers' Club. The first movement of composer Vincent Russo’s new work in progress, The Visions of Joan of Arc, will be featured. Vincent will be there so you can ask about the piece and the process of preparing it.
Tapas and drinks are offered at the bar nearby, and are allowed in the Moraga Room.
Though the event is free, you must make a reservation with Eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com, or through the musical host for this program, San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, at sffcm.org
Strobe was among a select group of ensembles asked to play for SF Music Day, Live + Free. This 8-year old festival is always free and open to the public.
Our program included Mozart, Lully, Britten, and a new piece for oboe quartet by composer Neal Desby, brother of cellist Krisanthy Desby.
3:30-4:15pm at the Taube Atrium, located on the fourth floor of Herbst Theater.
For more information about the event, go to sffcm.org
We were honored to represent Noontime Concerts at the San Francisco Travel Association Annual Luncheon, which was held at Moscone Center West.
Musicians: Stephanie Bibbo, Violin; Peter Lemberg, Guest Oboe; Krisanthy Desby, Cello
Organizers: Lisa Cleveland, San Francisco Travel; Robin Wirthlin, Executive Director, Noontime Concerts
