By George Warren - September 12, 2009
The 2009-2010 music season begins this week with the first concert of
the Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concert Series featuring pianist
Nareh Arghamanyan playing works by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky,
and Rachmaninoff. For those who love hearing top musicians in an intimate
setting, the Lorenz concerts are for you. Highlights of Lorenz season
include the Gold Medalist from the 2009 Van Cliburn competition, the
regal Garrick Ohlsson, and Mikhail Rudy playing Scriabin, Stravinsky,
Janacek, Mussorgsky. No light fare on that program.
Highlights of the Fresno Philharmonic’s season include, of course, the
return of Itzhak Perlman in April, Markus Groh playing Brahms Piano
Concerto No. 1, and Martin Chalifour playing Barber’s Violin Concerto.
Also this year, the Philharmonic presents a huge concert of Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony coupled with a world premiere piano concerto by a local
composer.
Of further interest, the Philharmonic makes an appearance at Paul
Shaghoian Hall on the campus of Clovis North, presenting an all-Beethoven
program. The hall is in process of becoming one of our region’s
landmarks, and the Philharmonic’s concert will certainly contribute to
its mystique.
Fresno Grand Opera brings back Rigoletto in January, featuring
baritone Gaetan Laperriere and tenor Raul Melo, and follows that with
Verdi’s Macbeth in April. FGO also has several special events planned.
The Fresno Community Chorus will perform Mozart’s Requiem at Shaghoian
Hall in November and will join the Fresno Philharmonic in March for
Beethoven’s Ninth.
Finally, the Fresno New Music Festival moves to October for its fourth
year. The festival will include concerts of new music by living composers
and master classes by several composers who have found their way into the
public discourse.
The excitement, delight, and danger of live music at the professional
level begins Thursday. No recording can compete with the sound, the edge,
and the social experience live music provides. Many of these performances
will be critically reviewed on this website, in the absence of reviews by
the Fresno Bee. Look for the reviews here following the concerts.
