Saturday, April 5, 2008

Happy Spring!

1. Music at Kohl Mansion
2. Temecula Presents
3. CD Release and Concerts (May)
4. Quartetfest
5. Memories of Switchboard Music Festival
6. Memories of Stringwreck
7. Grant
8. Future Recording

1. Music at Kohl Mansion

We are in the midst of our "Music at Kohl Mansion: Music in Schools" program in Burlingame and Millbrae. For our school version of " Music of the Pacific Rim," the 3rd-5th graders are introduced to our puppets Emu and Crow, and everyone participates in an aural volcanic eruption! During April and May, we will visit 9 schools and perform for more than 1000 students.


2. Temecula Presents

For our Southern California fans, we will be making a stop at Old Town Temecula Theater. Come and hear repertoire from our "Ring of Fire" Other Minds album release!



3. CD Release and Concerts (May)

It’s here! Come get a copy of our new CD, “Ring of Fire” (released on Other Minds

Records) and hear the music live at our concerts on May 2 (SF with reception following the concert) and May 4 (Pt. Reyes Station). Included is “Spiral X: In Memoriam” by Chinary Ung, which we premiered at the Library of Congress last year. Pieces by other contemporary Pacific Rim composers such as Hyo-shin Na, Kui Dong, and Jack Body are also on the program. Composer Chinary Ung will attend the SF concert on May 2 for the West Coast premiere of his piece. These concert are funded in part by grants from the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund, Meet The Composer’s MetLife Creative Connections program, San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grant Program, San Francisco Grants for the Arts/Hotel Tax Fund, and the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation.

4. Quartetfest

June 30th – July 3rd
Del Sol String Quartet will be presenting their new expanded version this summer starting June 30th continuing through July 3rd. It will take place in a beautiful Pacific Heights home in San Francisco. This is one of San Francisco's premier training workshops for young chamber musicians and it is a great opportunity for young string players to immerse themselves in the art of rehearsal and performance of the string quartet repertoire. Jeremy Cohen joins QuartetFest as their special guest artist offering his expertise in improvisation and various jazz and tango styles. Contact
Kate Stenberg for more info.

5. Memories of Switchboard Music Festival

March 30
There was such a diverse crowd, eager to appreciate the spontaneity and intense creativity of the festival.
Rick Shinozaki, Del Sol violinist – “Del Sol had a blast at the inaugural season of the Switchboard Music Festival. Our two collaborations could hardly have been more contrasting: A really neat uncategorizable quasi-improv with Amy X Neuberg, segueing into the spiritually expansive music of Osvaldo Golijov with the masterly Jeffrey Anderle. There's a special excitement to be in on the inauguration of a new annual festival, and to see the fruition of our friends' dreams. May the Switchboard Festival continue to flourish and grow.” Read the CatSynth blog posting.

6. Memories of Stringwreck

April 10 - 13

Our collaboration with Janice Garrett and Dancers and choreographer Charles Moulton culminated in four performances earlier this month. It was a great success, receiving ovations each night and a flood of positive feedback all around.

"A delight from start finish...a continually thoughtful, surprising and even touching journey.”- San Francisco Chronicle

Kate Stenberg, Del Sol violinist- “What a joy to play the "Adagio" from Bach's Solo violin sonata as the rest of the quartet and dancers gracefully moved through the space. Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton did a wonderful job of working with gamut of temperaments as well as all the problems of dancing while playing something as difficult as a stringed instrument. In the end, we had a lot of fun!.”

Hannah Addario-Berry Del Sol cellist- “From the first rehearsal to the last performance this project was thrilling and challenging. Janice, Charles, and each of the dancers brought something really new and special to our quartet, and I very much hope that we will continue our work together.”

Dance Review Times review: “…a deliciously entertaining, slightly wacky evening of music and dance that could charm a turnip.”

SF Chronicle review: "A delight from start finish...a continually thoughtful, surprising and even touching journey."

7. Grant

FAC notified us that they are awarding us a $12k grant for our May 2009 Home Season (premiering Tania Léon’s first string quartet, commissioned by the Fromm Foundation).

8. Future Recording

We are preparing for our next recording, the music of Marc Blitzstein. This will be our third release on the Other Minds label, following our George Antheil album and "Ring of Fire." More details to come later!

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