It is always a treat to be able to sit back and enjoy a concert performed by our friends and colleagues from the SF Ballet Orchestra.  Such was the occasion on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 when an array of musicians from the orchestra played in the annual chamber music concert presented by the Piedmont Piano Company of Oakland, CA.

The Inspiration for this Event

Each year, for the past decade, the Piedmont Piano Company has generously provided two of its world-class, Yamaha pianos to be used by the SF Ballet Orchestra throughout the ballet season.  To express our sincere gratitude for this ongoing partnership, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra was honored and thrilled to perform for this event.

Our Hosts

The evening began with a warm welcome from Jim Callahan, President of the Piedmont Piano Company.  With the support of an enthusiastic, capacity crowd, the concert included pieces by a wide variety of composers, including the SFB Orchestra’s own Shinji Eshima.  (See program notes below.) Featured pianists for the evening were Miles Graber and Natasha Feygina.

The first piece after the intermission, Time and Space by  composer, Richard Bissill was dedicated to Jim’s father, Jim Callahan Sr.  In his introduction of the piece, musician Bill Klingelhoffer, paid tribute to Callahan Sr. who, for 25 years, played French Horn with the San Francisco Symphony.

(To hear the original recording, click on the link above.)

By all accounts…

the performance was a great success, and for those who missed it, we hope to see you there next year!  Until then, there’s still time to catch our remaining performances for the Ballet’s 2015 Repertory Season.

Last but not least…

We’d like to thank Craig Reiss for putting together such an exciting program that highlighted the wonderful talent of the orchestra. Also, thank you to Tracy Davis for his invaluable service as personnel manager and for doubling—on the night of this concert —as stage manager!

Concert Program

• Trio for Two Oboes and English Horn, Op. 87 (Ludwig van Beethoven) – Laura Griffiths, Marilyn Coyne (oboes), James Moore III (English Horn)
• Trio for Piano, Oboe and Horn, Op. 188 (Carl Reinecke) – Miles Graber (piano), Laura Griffiths (oboe), Kevin Rivard (horn)
• String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111 (Johannes Brahms) – Elbert Tsai, Clifton Foster (violins), Anna Kruger, Caroline Lee (violas), Thalia Moore (cello)
• Quintet in G minor, Op. 39 for Strings and Winds, Tema con variazioni (Sergei Prokofiev) – Craig Reiss (violin), Anna Kruger (viola), Steve D’Amico (bass), Laura Griffiths (oboe), Natalie Parker (clarinet)
• “Moldovanke” for Clarinet, Viola and Piano (Matthew Naughtin) – Natalie Parker (clarinet), Caroline Lee (viola), Miles Graber (piano)

Intermission

• “Time and Space” for Two Horns and Piano (Richard Bissill) – Bill Klingelhoffer, Kevin Rivard (horns), Miles Graber (piano)
• Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57, Scherzo: Allegretto (Dimitri Shostakovich) – Miles Graber (piano), Mariya Borozina, Elbert Tsai (violins), Caroline Lee (viola), Thalia Moore (cello)
• Two movements for Piano (Shinji Eshima) – Natalya Feygina (piano)
• Octet in F Major, D. 803, Andante molto-Allegro-Andante molto-Allegro molto (Franz Schubert) – Mariya Borozina, Craig Reiss (violins), Caroline Lee (viola), Thalia Moore (cello), Steve D’Amico (bass), Natalie Parker (clarinet), Rufus Olivier (bassoon), Kevin Rivard (horn)

Throughout the year, the Piedmont Piano Co. hosts an impressive roster of musical groups and solo artists who perform in the store’s spacious showroom. Click here for their event calendar.