Our 40th anniversary in 2023-24 showcased alumni, faculty, and friends from across the decades in a year-long celebration. Filled with sublime performances, original commissions, and a new chamber music festival, the celebration culminated with a Hertz Hall concert and reunion at Crowden.
World Premiere 40th Anniversary Commission
Our Anniversary commemorations officially began at last May's Crowden School Spring concert, where our inspiring young musicians and conductor Eugene Sor premiered our first 40th anniversary commission, Capybaraology by alum Gabriella Smith ('05, John Adams Young composers Program). Watch the riveting performance below!
Sundays @ Four Concerts featuring illustrious Crowden alumni & faculty
Chamber Music Festival with the Alexander String Quartet
Crowden was proud to present a chamber music festival with longtime friends and mentors the Alexander String Quartet.
February 17, 2024, 7pm
Faculty Concert: Alexander String Quartet
The inaugural festival faculty concert featured the incomparable Alexander String Quartet on Saturday, February 17, 7pm
Program: Tarik O'Regan: Gradual; Leoš Janáček: String Quartet, No. 1, Kreutzer Sonata; Jean Sibelius: String Quartet, Op. 56 in D minor, Voces Intimate
40th Anniversary Weekend
Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-26, 2024
40th Anniversary Concert
SOLD OUT! NO TICKETS AVAILABLE AT DOOR
May 25, 2024, 6:30pm
Hertz Hall (101 Cross-Spraul Path, UC Berkeley)
PROGRAM
World premiere!
Arches
by Samuel Adams (’00)
Octet in E-Flat Major, Op. 20
by Felix Mendelssohn
Carrot Revolution
by Gabriella Smith (’05)
Primavera Porteña (from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
by Astor Piazzolla
Four Traditional Pieces
by Gordon Getty (40th Anniversary Concert Honoree)
Pizzicato Sonatina
by Nicole Targosz (16 year-old John Adams Young Composers Program student)
True Colors
by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 (II. Modinha)
by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (an Anne Crowden favorite)
Fiddle Faddle
by LeRoy Anderson (Crowden's traditional concert closer)
FEATURED PERFORMERS & COMPOSERS
Celebrated composer
Samuel Adams (‘00)
Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet
(Karla Donehew Perez ‘99)
Globally acclaimed concert violinist and pedagogue
Nora Chastain
Crowden faculty conductor
Rachel Durling
Crowden 40th Anniversary Concert Honoree, composer
Gordon Getty
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Conductor
Jory Fankuchen (‘91)
New music experts
Friction Quartet
Acclaimed NY-based Crowden summer faculty violinist
Ariana Kim
Crowden faculty conductor
La Nell Martin (Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir)
Pittsburgh Symphony Co-concertmaster
David McCarroll (‘99)
Menuhin Competition-winner, violinist
Kenneth Renshaw (‘08)
Former Crowden and SFCO Music Director
Benjamin Simon
Renowned composer
Gabriella Smith (‘05, John Adams Young Composers Program)
Crowden Artistic Director
Eugene Sor
Nicole Targosz
(16-year-old John Adams Young Composers Program student)
Virtuoso pianist
Audrey Vardanega (‘09)
SF Ballet Orchestra violinist
Mariko Wyrick (‘06)
Crowden students, faculty, alumni, and friends, including Quartet San Francisco founding violinist Jeremy Cohen, Abigail Rojansky ('03) of the distinguished Verona Quartet, and Alexander String Quartet and Crowden summer members Zakarias Grafilo, David Samuel, and Sandy Wilson.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
40th ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND CO-CHAIRS
Shelby & Frederick Gans, Bruce Burnam
40th Anniversary Concert Honoree
Gordon Getty
Honorary Co-Chairs
John Adams and Bonnie Hampton
40th Anniversary Honorary Committee
Mason Bates
Jeremy Cohen
Deirdre Cooper
Paul Dresher
Gabriela Lena Frank
Jeremy Geffen
Wei He
Jake Heggie
Leila Josefowicz
Kronos Quartet
Ming Luke
Yo-Yo Ma
Susie Medak
John and Helen Meyer
Jonathan Moscone
Susan Muscarella
Evan Price
Garrick Ohlsson
Joshua Robison
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Frederica von Stade
David Stull
Telegraph Quartet
Michael Tilson Thomas
Mads Tolling
Joseph Young
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Promoter Sponsor
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