Bay Area Musicians to Commemorate Life of Herbert Bielawa, Today

The life, work and legacy of beloved and prolific Bay Area composer, pianist, conductor and educator Herbert Bielawa (1930-2015) will be celebrated in a concert of his music Friday, April 29, at 8 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington. Among other accomplishments, Bielawa served on the music faculty of San Francisco State University for 25 years, where he founded the contemporary music ensemble Pro Musica Nova, created electronic and computer music studios, instigated ground-breaking programs and curricula and was an indefatigable champion of new music. Admission to the concert -which spans 50 years of Bielawa's work--is free of charge and the public is invited to celebrate this remarkable artist, whose contributions to the Bay Area and American musical scenes have been substantial.

The April 29 concert will include Bielawa's Then and Now for piano solo performed by Miles Graber, a video of Breathing for electronic sounds and dance, Segue a Quatro for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello performed by members of Sounds New --Brooke Aird, violin; Cathy Allen Aird, cello; Deborah Schmidt, flute; and Richard Mathias, clarinet. Anna Carol Dudley will sing "Aria" from the chamber opera A Bird in the Bush with Deborah Schmidt, flute; "Swan Song" and "Coda for a Lover" from Stone Settings (poems by Arlene Stone), and "I Love My Love" from the satirical revue What Do You Care? It's Beyond Repair all accompanied by Miles Graber, piano. Three movements from Variations on Ton-y-botel for pipe organ will be performed by Pamela Decker; "The Journey" and "Something" from Sojourner Songs, "Sweet Was the Song", and "A Critical Success" from Rants with Brooke Aird, violin, will be sung by the San Francisco Choral Artists, Magen Solomon, Director. Three Piano Rags played by Miles Graber will close the program.

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