FRANZ SCHUBERT - what we're working on now
Oh, Franz!
We've been thinking a lot about Schubert these days. He's really becoming a part of our hearts and souls. For those of you who don't think you know him or his works that well, you can always start with good old Wikipedia under Franz Schubert. Then, check out his IMDb page. Yup, his music has been used in almost 350 different soundtracks, including Stanley Kubrick's Oscar winner "Barry Lyndon." You also probably haven't spent a single Christmas season without hearing his incredibly famous "Ave Maria" whether done by one of the greatest sopranos ever, or by the likes of Beyonce and Celine Dion. Schubert rocks on, 200 years later - now THAT's star power.
For those of you whom are already fans of Franz, we are so excited to share our experience with his Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat, written in the last few months of his life. It's one of the great staples of the chamber music repertoire - and one of the most epic, clocking in at almost 45 minutes of playing time. We'll be playing the 2nd and 4th movements on San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music Chamber Music Day at the deYoung on October 16th at 3:30 in the Koret Auditorium. The famous first theme of the second movement, sung first by the cello and then by the piano, comes back in the cello part in the 4th movement and really ties these movements together. It's amazingly beautiful - melancholy, yet sweet. And it's pure genius. Come listen and let us know what you think!
Free Concert - Save the Date!
Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at the DeYoung Museum
We're excited to perform at the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music Chamber Music Day, hosted by our fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music. We'll be featuring Schubert's Piano Trio No.2 in E flat Major, D.929, Opus 100. Stay tuned for more updates about this amazing piece - we hope you'll be as enthralled with it as we are by the time you come hear it live.
See you there!
Celebrating music and life!
Celebrating one year as a cancer survivor! Grateful for the gift and beauty of music to accompany me on this unpredictable but adventurous journey of life! Looking forward to dedicating more of myself to the joy of live classical music with BELLA and friends!
Welcome Stephanie, BELLA's New Violinist
We are so excited to welcome our new violinisit, Stephanie Bibbo! She is replacing Julia Ogrydziak. Stephanie hails from Cape Cod, and so, like Mimi and Gabriel, is well versed in Boston (or, "Bahstahn") and the East Coast. She received her music degrees from NEC and SFCM (incidentally she and Gabriel were classmates at NEC!) an
d has been touring and performing with orchestras and groups throughout the SF Bay Area, as well as the rest of the US and Europe. She has a beautiful, sweet sound, a palpable passion for music, and most importantly, is a lot of fun to work and be with! We are looking forward to collaborating with her and bringing you more live chamber music to enjoy.
Now all three members of BELLA are full-time, conservatory-trained, dedicated artists on a path to inspire with exciting live chamber music performances of the absolute highest level! We're EXCITED!!!
BELLA at Stanford's St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) Seminar
We had a fantastic time with the SLSQ and their friends, especially Chris Costanza, Pedja Muzijevic and Henk Guittart. We appreciate all their feedback and insights - and for being a part of our journey to becoming better musicians. Thanks also to the other ensembles and colleagues who made the days (and nights!) fun and fulfilling. We look forward to incorporating what we learned and bringing our audiences more beautiful music!
BELLA and the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music
We are excited to announce our new affiliation with the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music (SFFCM). Now your financial support for BELLA can all be directed to us through the SFFCM and you will enjoy a tax deduction for your donations. We look forward to this partnership and hope to see you all next season!
BELLA at Piedmont Piano
Well, we say it is! Join us to celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a trip to the sunnier climes of Uptown Oakland for live music in the new Piedmont Piano space, complete with in-store concert stage.
On the docket are: Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla (a languid, sexy tango), Mirror in Mirror (we're sparing you the german title) by Arvo Pärt (think meditation), and two of the greatest pieces from piano trio repertoire: the "Dumky" trio by Dvorak, and the Shostakovich Trio. We'll leave the descriptions and discussions of these to the performance itself, where, per usual, we'll talk about our approach and thoughts on each of these pieces.
So, come join us and get inspired for summer!
WHEN. Saturday, May 21st at 8:00pm
WHERE. 1728 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
TICKETS. At the door ($20)
MORE INFO. Call Piedmont Piano Co. at 510-547-8188, or visit their website
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About BELLA
www.bellatrio.us
About PIEDMONT PIANO CO.
www.piedmontpiano.com
BELLA and B.A.C.H. at the ProArts Gallery Aftermath
We were so excited to have a great turnout at the ProArts Gallery this past Friday. Though the weather was still doing its stormy thing, the gallery was bright, lively, and welcoming, the perfect antidote to the grey skies all week, and the packed audience made it even cosier. Thanks to Andrew Chung, founder of the B.A.C.H Series for inviting us to play in the series and for producing the event.
BELLA and B.A.C.H. at the ProArts Gallery
You're invited!
Join us for our upcoming show at the ProArts Gallery as part of the B.A.C.H Concert Series.
Per our M.O., BELLA will chat about and perform works by Piazzolla, Pärt and Dvořák. It's an exhibit/salon kind of shindig, bringing local artists and local music together.
So get your ART on! Bring your friends and let's celebrate another Happy Friday.
WHEN. Friday, March 25th at 7:30 pm
WHERE. ProArts Gallery, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA
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About BELLA
www.bellatrio.us
About ProArts Gallery
About B.A.C.H.