So the trend in the Bay Area has been towards creating marathon-style concerts. One day, lots of groups, lots of music. It's an exciting event for all to attend. A few great events you can keep your eyes peeled for throughout the year: the Switchboard Music Festival, Hot Air Music Festival, the Garden of Memory (on the summer solstice), and of course San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music "Chamber Music: Live & Free." This year, the 4th Live & Free is at the De Young Museum on Sunday October 16. It's going to be a exciting day packed full of a variety of wonderful performers, including, of course, the Del Sol String Quartet.
However, Del Sol, in the spirit of marathon concerts, decided to take it one step further. Kathryn Bates Williams, cellist extraordinaire, is actually going to run a marathon before performing at Live & Free. In the early morning hours, she will be seen prancing her way around the entire city of San Francisco, as part of the Nike Women's Marathon, before landing herself back at the De Young, to play some adreneline-pumped performances of Lou Harrison, Elena Kats-Chernin, and Gabriela Lena Frank.
Crazy? Stupid? Totally awesome? Who knows. It wasn't exactly on purpose- Williams had committed to the marathon only hours before finding out the date to Live & Free. Live & Free is such an important community event that the quartet decided to go ahead and participate. We'll let you know how it all turns out - it will only happen with the backstage support of several people who will get mentioned later one. It will be exciting no matter what happens, even if Williams has to limp to get onstage. Thankfully, as the cellist, she's the only one who gets to sit in performance!
