Donato Cabrera, Music Director of the California Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic, announced new events to connect with audiences and communities during the ongoing period of isolation due to the coronavirus crisis. The California Symphony presents a special online presentation with Alexi Kenney and Cabrera and the Las Vegas Philharmonic announces weekly encore performances on Nevada Public Radio.
On Sunday, May 24, 2020 at 4pm PT, the California Symphony presents an online premiere featuring new recordings by violinist Alexi Kenney from his home in Palo Alto, plus interviews with Cabrera in San Francisco. Kenney's program features music by Piazzolla, Joe Hisaishi, Du Yun, Clara Schumann, Joni Mitchell, Schubert, Geminiani, Hildegard von Bingen, and J.S. Bach. This special presentation is available to those who donate to the California Symphony in any amount, as well as 2019/20 California Symphony subscribers and ticket holders. The performance link will be live after the premiere for encore listening through May 31, 2020. More information and how to donate is available at www.californiasymphony.org/shows/online-alexi-kenney
The Las Vegas Philharmonic and Cabrera will be featured weekly on Nevada Public Radio through August 22, 2020. The LVP has partnered with Nevada Public Radio for the fifth consecutive year to broadcast a collection of memorable performances from the past five seasons plus two special broadcasts of music from the current 2019-20 season on Classical 89.7 FM Saturdays at 2pm, starting May 16. The broadcasts will also stream live online at www.knpr.org/classical-897-kcnv. Each broadcast will be 90 minutes to two hours in length and will include 13 memorable performances from the Philharmonic's current and prior seasons of powerful symphonies, exquisite concertos, brilliant guest artists, The Music of John Williams and more. Each broadcast will include insightful conversation about the artists, works and inspiration behind the music with Cabrera and Becker in addition to full length performances. Additionally, the schedule will include two newly recorded conversations with Cabrera and KNPR's Dave Becker where they will play Cabrera's favorite recordings of the music that would have been performed at the LVP's April 4 and May 9 concerts. The full broadcast schedule is available at KNPR.org.
Cabrera also continues two new online projects developed to promote engagement and connection with audiences, colleagues in the arts industry, and friends worldwide. The Music Plays On is a daily series on Cabrera's blog, featuring commentary and analysis on his favorite performances and recordings and MusicWise - Conversations about Art and Culture with Donato Cabrera is a weekly series streamed simultaneously on Facebook Live YouTube.
Cabrera sees The Music Plays On as a way to fulfill his passion for music education while off the podium. The Mercury News describes it as "an engaging mix of music history, insights into the lives of composers, and the pleasures of discovering works we seldom get to experience. The topics aren't relegated to classical composers - he also ruminates on jazz icons like Chet Baker and Joe Pass and even favorite rock-concert films," with daily entries (65 and counting) since March 14.
Cabrera hosts MusicWise on Tuesdays at 1pm PT on Facebook Live and YouTube, featuring interviews with engaging artists and civic leaders who influence and shape the cultural landscape. With each guest, Cabrera explores their background and upbringing, and how these touchstones influence their projects and initiatives, past and present. Guests will showcase and share their favorite performances and recordings, as well as responding to selected questions from the Facebook Live audience.
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