Events Around the Bay – Week of January 16, 2017

Lunar New Year Celebration with Concert and Imperial Dinner 

February 4 at 3 p.m.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rooster at a magical festivity involving a fabulous concert at the San Francisco Symphony along with an Imperial Dinner extravaganza. Mei-Ann Chen leads the San Francisco Symphony in music from Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean traditions with a special guest Tang Jun Qiao performing selections on Chinese instruments. There will be a free Festival Reception with lion dancers, arts and crafts, red envelopes, popular neon dragon dance and a combination of traditional folk music, alongside orchestral works by Asian composers, and nods to the Year of the Rooster. Complimentary refreshments precede concert. The elegant Imperial Dinner will be held after the concert. The dinner celebration supports the San Francisco Symphony’s education and community programs. This is the grandest and most colorful celebration in the City by the Bay. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Tickets and Information
Concert tickets range from $32 to $76
Imperial Dinner tickets range from $395 to $1,250
415-864-6000
https://www.sfsymphony.org/LNY
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness Street in San Francisco
Photo courtesy of SF Symphony

From Russia with Love and Passionate Music  

January 21 at 7:30 p.m. Pre-concert lecture at 6:45 p.m. 
Meet and greet with the artists following the concert

No need to wait for Hallmark’s February 14th prescription for romance, just treat yourself to a rare musical experience of piano four-hands from the giants of the Romantic Period: brilliant, lyrical and passionate works by composers Schumann, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schubert performed by the celebrated Moscow Conservatory graduates Klara Frei and Temirzhan Yerzhanov at the Trianon Theater in San Jose. This husband and wife duo, now Bay Area residents, are both noted artists and medalists of major international competitions and highly regarded as mentors and educators. And now they are the Music Ambassadors of Romance. The concert is presented by the Steinway Society of the Bay Area.

Tickets and Information
Prices range from $40 to $60
Discounts are offered for seniors and students
408-295-6500
www.steinwaysociety.com
Trianon Theater at 72, North 5th Street in San Jose

Photo courtesy of Steinway Society 

Restaurant Weeks in San Francisco and San Jose

San Francisco: January 18 to 29
San Jose: January 16 to 26

Nearly 100 restaurants in San Francisco and 25 restaurants in San Jose celebrate Restaurant Week by offering visitors a delicious culinary journey with special deals and foods including: discounts, pre fixe menus, chef’s tables, wine pairings and much more. Not sure how this will fit into my New Year’s resolution of losing weight, but I guess walking in the cities and looking for the best gastronomic delicacies and discovering new and exciting restaurants should help. Restaurant Week is part of California Restaurant Month, designated by Visit California. During its past 6 iterations, more than 50 destination partners have participated and contributed to its success. Check out the websites for the full list of restaurants participating in this cities-wide promotion.

 Information
www.sfrestaurantweek.com
www.sjdowntown.com/dtsjrestaurantweek
For more information about California Restaurant Month, visit www.DineinCa.com.
Photo by Golden Gate Restaurants Association 

Peninsula Symphony Plays the Blues

January 20 at 8:00 p.m. in Redwood City 
January 21 at 8:00 p.m. in Campbell 

If it’s January, it must be blues time. Maestro Mitchell Klein will conduct the Peninsula Symphony in a program featuring the renowned Saint Michael Trio of Daniel Cher on violin, Russell Hancock on piano and Michel Flexer on cello performing compositions by Bollin’s Suite for orchestra and jazz, Wilson’s “Jive in Blue Major,” Walker’s Concert Suite, Piazzolla’s “Libertango,” and Handy’s “St. Louis Blues.”  This will be an unforgettable evening saluting famous American blues composers and musicians. No finger- snapping please! Just sway to the enjoyable sounds of blues music. A symphonic surprise is also in the repertoire! I wonder what it might be. You will have to attend the concerts to find out and let me know.

Tickets and Information 
Prices range from $25 to $45
650-941-5291
www.peninsulasymphony.org
Fox Theatre in Redwood City
Heritage Theatre in Campbell

Photo courtesy of Peninsula Symphony

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.