SF Symphony Starts the New Year on a Happy Note
January 16, 17, and 18 at 8 p.m.

Happy Birthday Ludwig van Beethoven! 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, the most famous composer who casts a long shadow over music–challenging, inspiring, haunting, and setting the bar for generations to come.

The renowned Beethoven virtuoso pianist Emanuel Ax will present Piano Concerto No. 2, some of the earliest-known music by the composer. Fronting a heightened sense of drama, Beethoven would become a beacon to Richard Wagner, who then pushed music’s harmonic language into a new realm–one which paved the way for Alban Berg. A signature piece for Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, Berg’s spellbinding Three Pieces for Orchestra is a revival of recent performances issued on the orchestra’s in-house label, an eight-time Grammy Award winner. The concert’s repertoire will also feature the west coast premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fountain of Youth and Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll. A truly sensational program to inaugurate the SF Symphony’s extraordinarily exciting 2020 season.

Tickets and Information
Prices range from $20 to $185
415-864-6000
sfsymphony.org
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco
Pre-order food and beverages by calling 415-252-1937

Photos courtesy of SF Symphony

The Pianist of Willesden Lane Performs in Mountain View
January 15 through February 16

Hershey Felder, the favorite Bay Area actor, pianist, writer, director and producer, brings a triumphant tour de force performance in The Pianist of Willesden Lane, created by Felder for TheatreWorks of Palo Alto. Adapted and directed by Hershey Felder and based on the book The Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen, it celebrates the power of music to transcend even the darkest of times.

Holding fast to dreams of concert success, a young Jewish pianist escapes Vienna via the Kindertransport, arriving in England at the outset of World War II. In a stunning, nationally-acclaimed performance, concert pianist Mona Golabek recounts her mother’s poignant saga of hope and resilience, underscored with extraordinary music from Bach, Beethoven, and many more. How amazing for the brilliant Hershey Felder and the incredible TheatreWorks of Palo Alto to present The Pianist of Willesden Lane as the world celebrates Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th Birthday. “Astonishing” and “Stunningly good!” – SF Chronicle. “Deeply affecting” – NY Times. Definitely not to be missed and even see it twice.

Tickets and Information
Prices range from $25 to $55
650-463-7132
theatreworks.org
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street in Mountain View

Photo courtesy of TheatreWorks

Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment
January 17 through May 3

To gently guide you on your path, “Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment” brings together Buddhist artworks from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Asian Art Museum, home to two of the country’s most significant collections of Himalayan art. Sculptures, paintings, textiles and book arts made between 800 and 2016 chart a transformative journey from the ordinary world to awakening.

“Awaken” begins with works that speak to the unbalanced nature of our contemporary existence. After meeting some of Himalayan Buddhism’s most interesting masters, you then meet your guide, or guru, in the form of an early 17th-century painting of Gorampa Sonam Sengge, the sixth abbot of Ngor monastery, who will lead you on a path out of this chaos. A fascinating journey – enjoy, but time to wake up…

Tickets and Information
415-581-3500
asianart.org
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street in San Francisco
Photo courtesy of Asian Art Museum

Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico de Silvia Lozano performs in Silicon Valley
January 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Traditional Mexican dance, music, and costumes come together in this spectacular production. Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico de Silvia Lozano has spent the past 56 years entertaining and performing for kings, presidents, and prime ministers around the globe. Featuring dances and authentic music, these captivating performances are carefully choreographed and designed to preserve and share the heritage of the Mexican people. Now it’s time for you to enjoy and be awestruck by their artistry in San Jose.

Tickets and Information
408-924-8501
hammertheatre.com
Hammer Theatre Center
101 Paseo de San Antonio in San Jose

Photo courtesy of Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico de Silvia Lozano

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.