Symphony performs Scheherazade and world-premiere klezmer

Santa Rosa Symphony performs Scheherazade
Clarinetist David Krakauer featured in klezmer world premiere he co-composed
November 6, 7 & 8, 2021 at the Green Music Center
Plus: Masterclass with David Krakauer on November 4, 2021

The Santa Rosa Symphony presents a culturally rich program with orchestral klezmer music from traditional to world premiere, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade conducted by Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong. Renowned clarinetist David Krakauer is featured in the world premiere of The Fretless Clarinet: Concerto for Klezmer Clarinet and Orchestra, which he composed with Kathleen Tagg.

Lecce Chong said, "David Krakauer has been a mentor, friend and musical inspiration since my college days, and it is truly an honor to bring to life this incredible concerto. I look forward to not only showcasing his amazing artistry with the orchestra, but also giving our audience the unique and thrilling experience of traditional klezmer music in concert."

Culturally Rich Program

For the first half of the evening, the symphony will take on a klezmer flavor. In addition to Krakauer and Tagg's concerto, the Symphony will perform orchestral arrangements of two traditional klezmer pieces (Der Heyser Bulgar and Der Gasn Nign) and Abraham Ellstein's Chassidic Dance.

Francesco Lecce-Chong's program concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade (Symphonic Suite) for Orchestra, a piece inspired by One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

David Krakauer

Only a select few artists have the ability to convey their message to the back row, to galvanize an audience with a visceral power that connects on a universal level. David Krakauer is such an artist. Widely considered one of the greatest clarinetists on the planet with his own unique sound and approach, he has been praised internationally as a key innovator in modern klezmer as well as a major voice in classical music. In 2015, he received a Grammy nomination as soloist with the conductor-less chamber orchestra A Far Cry.

Krakauer began his journey with the music of his Eastern European Jewish cultural heritage at the end of the 1980s as the Berlin Wall was falling, and culture from “behind the Iron Curtain” began to emerge in the West. Inspired by these massive cultural shifts, he began to explore klezmer music as he sought to connect with his Jewish identity in a deeper way. He very quickly became a creator in his own right; first as a member of the groundbreaking band The Klezmatics (that launched the second klezmer revival of the early 1990s), then as an integral part of John Zorn’s Radical Jewish Culture movement, and ultimately as a composer, soloist and bandleader in the klezmer genre.

He has participated in a wide array of projects, solo appearances, and multi-genre collaborations with ensembles, conductors, composers and individual artists such as the WDR Big Band, Abraham Inc. (co-led with Fred Wesley and Socalled), the Emerson Quartet, Marin Alsop, Wlad Mathulets, Leonard Slatkin (Orchestre de Lyon), Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Quatuor Debussy, JoAnn Falletta, George Tsontakis, Anakronic Electro Orkestra and Kathleen Tagg (pianist and co-creator of Breath & Hammer). Read full bio.

ENHANCEMENTS:

• Program notes are available on the concert event page.
• Concert Conversations, 30-minute pre-concert talks, occur one hour prior to each performance, with Lecce-Chong, usually accompanied by the guest artist(s).

COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS:

Proof of Vaccination OR negative COVID-19 PCR test result dated within 72 hours of the concert AND a photo I.D. will be required for entry. All patrons must be properly masked. Children younger than 12 may be admitted with a negative COVID-19 PCR result dated within 72 hours of the concert and photo ID (ID may be waived if accompanied by a parent). That age group (7-11) may also attend the Discovery Rehearsal without such proofs. Patrons who do not comply with these guidelines will be denied entry or asked to leave the concert hall. No exceptions. More info.

RELATED NEWS – Masterclass November 4, 2021

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Krakauer will offer a masterclass at Weill Hall. This opportunity to learn new techniques, which may even apply to other instruments, and see students respond and improve in real time, is free, though reservations are required. Interested parties may call Patron Services at (707) 546-7097 to reserve a seat. Masks will be required, but proof of vaccination or a negative test will not be necessary for this smaller event.