Events Around the Bay – Week of February 2, 2017
Russian Pianist Olga Kern to Dazzle Bay Area Audiences February 11 in Walnut Creek; February 12 in Palo Alto “Kern’s musicality radiates off the stage and saturates the hall, and it is joyfully, intensely alive. Call it star quality,” writes the Washington Post. Olga Kern became the first woman in thirty years to win the Gold Medal at […]
Russian Pianist Olga Kern to Dazzle Bay Area Audiences
February 11 in Walnut Creek; February 12 in Palo Alto
“Kern’s musicality radiates off the stage and saturates the hall, and it is joyfully, intensely alive. Call it star quality,” writes the Washington Post. Olga Kern became the first woman in thirty years to win the Gold Medal at the prestigious Van Cliburn Competition. The triumphant performances at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. were followed by the soloist’s concerts with the Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Kirov Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony, Russian National Orchestra, and the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, and reflect her brilliant virtuosity in the her interpretations of compositions by Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt and Scarlatti. With her magnetic stage presence, passionately confident musicianship and faster-than-speed-limit-allows technique – you are in for a memorable and unique concert experience taking place in a few venues around the Bay Area. I confess: I have become an Olga Kern groupie and follow her to all of her performances in the Bay Area.
Tickets and Information
$55 per ticket
415-392- 4400
Visit the website for the locations and the times of the concerts
www.chambermusicSF.org
Photo courtesy of Chamber Music SF
Meet Chef Martin Yan at Macy’s in San Francisco
February 11, at 2 p.m.
Yes, Chef Yan can cook! The Year of the Rooster gets even more delicious as the renowned Master Chef Martin Yan shows off his knife skills by de-boning a chicken in less than 18 seconds and then creating a delicious dish for you to taste. Also on hand will be M.Y. China Executive Chef Tony Wu demonstrating hand pulled noodles. Certified Master Chef, highly respected food consultant, TV personality, and prolific author, Martin Yan is known by his fans for spicing up his cooking artistry and lessons with a personal ingredient: wit. The cooking demo is free but with any $35 or more purchase in the Home Department that day you will get a chance to meet Chef Yan and receive a special gift.
Tickets and Information
Admission is free
Macy’s Union Square, Women’s Store, Cellar Level
170 O’Farrell Street in San Francisco
Photo courtesy of Macy’s
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Now through February 26
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), currently celebrating its 50th anniversary subscription season, presents the world-premiere theatrical adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s international best-selling novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. The epic story tells of three generations of Afghan women who are bound together by marriage, family, and a secret past, A Thousand Splendid Suns is set amid the war-torn streets of modern-day Kabul. This stunning new production features live music from renowned composer and saw player David Coulter. “Hosseini’s writing makes our hearts ache, our stomachs clench, and our emotions reel,” writes USA Today. Co-produced by Theater Calgary and the American Conservatory Theater A Thousand Splendid Suns is a must-see play in San Francisco.
Tickets and Information
Prices range from $20 to $105
415-749-2228
www.act-sf.org
ACT
415 Geary St. San Francisco
Photo by Kevin Berne, courtesy of ACT
San Francisco Ballet’s Frankenstein Comes to Life
February 17 through 26
A hauntingly beautiful Gothic masterpiece hailed by audiences in London, Frankenstein is on its way to the stage of the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Lavish and emotionally intense, the work comes to life under the creative direction of brilliant British Choreographer Liam Scarlet, the youngest choreographer ever to have a full-length ballet commissioned by The Royal Ballet. Staying true to the original story, Scarlett revives the classic story of Frankenstein, creating a riveting account of the tormented creature’s dramatic beginning and sorrowful end. Danced to perfection by the talented ballet dancers of The San Francisco Ballet, with the moody music of composer Lowell Lieberman, this Frankenstein, which is co-produced with the Royal Ballet, is more of a love story depicting a meditation of what it means to be human. This is a North America’s Premiere: a rare gift for this Valentine’s Day celebration. Not recommended for children under 12.
Tickets and Information
Prices range from $35 to $265
415-865-2000
www.sfballet.org
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue
Photo courtesy of SF Ballet
Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England, she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, with no borsch or piroshky on her home cooking menu. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out, mostly sushi.
