Summer Quarter 2021 dates are June 21–August 16, 2021. Registration is ongoing.
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concert broadcasts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, from Chopin to Chick Corea and Lotería cards to flutes of all shapes and sizes. Enjoy compelling programs of classical, jazz, contemporary, Afro-Cuban music, and more with artistic performances, composer interviews, and a chance to connect with faculty through Q&A
June 25: Josepha Fath, violin
July 9: Elektra Schmidt, piano
July 23: Diane Grubbe, flute
August 6: Erick Peralta, piano
August 20: Charlie Gurke, saxophone
Living and Making Music Together: A Concert and Conversation with Josepha Fath and William Harvey
Friday, June 25, 2021 at 5:30pm (PDT)
FREE
This program will explore the dynamics of living and making music together during times of pandemic-induced social distancing and isolation. CMC faculty Josepha Fath (violin) and her husband William Harvey (trumpet) will present a concert from their home, accompanied by a live conversation about their experiences and Q&A session.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
About the Performers:
Josepha Fath is a member of the California Symphony, The San Francisco Opera Center Orchestra, Lamplighters Music Theater, and performs with the Oakland and Santa Cruz Symphonies. In demand as a studio player, she has recorded numerous film scores and video game scores with the Skywalker Symphony.
An avid chamber music player, Josepha is a founding member of the Fath Chamber Players, recipients of the Milley Award, Mill Valley’s Creative Achievement Award, and is a founding member of the Liberty Street Piano Trio. In San Francisco, she has performed at Noontime Concerts and for Community Music Center’s Shenson Faculty Concert Series.
Josepha received her musical training at San Francisco State University, where she was a recipient of a Morrison Artist String Quartet scholarship, and Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Teachers include Barbara Riccardi, Daniel Kobialka, Rafael Bronstein and David Nadien. She has spent summers performing at Tanglewood, Spoleto, Blossom and Mendocino Festivals.
Josepha enjoys teaching at the Community Music Center, and the French American International School. She resides in Oakland, California, with her husband, trumpeter William Harvey, and their cat Charlie.
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concert broadcasts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, from Chopin to Chick Corea and Lotería cards to flutes of all shapes and sizes. Enjoy compelling programs of classical, jazz, contemporary, Afro-Cuban music, and more with artistic performances, composer interviews, and a chance to connect with faculty through Q&A
June 25: Josepha Fath, violin
July 9: Elektra Schmidt, piano
July 23: Diane Grubbe, flute
August 6: Erick Peralta, piano
August 20: Charlie Gurke, saxophone
Variation on Variation with Elektra Schmidt, piano
Friday July 9, 2021 at 5:30pm (PDT)
FREE
In this program, pianist Elektra Schmidt explores the technique of variation as employed by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin, ranging from the most traditional theme and variation form in Beethoven’s 32 variations, through the dance suite of Bach’s Partita in C minor, all the way to the most expansive expression of the technique in the thematic variations of Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F minor.
This concert will be live streamed from the “Piano Palace “ in Half Moon Bay.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
About the Performers:
Award-winning pianist Elektra Schmidt performs as solo artist and in chamber groups in the United States as well as France, Greece, and the United Kingdom. She has had the good fortune to work with such visionaries as Marios Papadopoulos, Neil Immelman, Theodor Paraskeveku, the Ganev duo and others.
After graduating summa cum laude from the National Conservatory of her native Greece, Elektra pursued her post-graduate studies in Paris at the Schola Cantorum and the Conservatoire Raoul Pugno under the guidance of distinguished pianist Lilia Boyadjieva. She received her master’s degree with First Prize and Distinction (Medaille d’Or avec les felicitations du jury).
Elektra is the founder of Artist Migration, an organization dedicated to the integration and mobility of international artists. Elektra collaborates with international festivals throughout the world including the San Francisco International Arts Festival, the Arundel Festival and Oxford Philomusica in the United Kingdom. Elektra lives and teaches in San Francisco and London. She has been on the faculty of CMC since 2017.
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concert broadcasts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, from Chopin to Chick Corea and Lotería cards to flutes of all shapes and sizes. Enjoy compelling programs of classical, jazz, contemporary, Afro-Cuban music, and more with artistic performances, composer interviews, and a chance to connect with faculty through Q&A
June 25: Josepha Fath, violin
July 9: Elektra Schmidt, piano
July 23: Diane Grubbe, flute
August 6: Erick Peralta, piano
August 20: Charlie Gurke, saxophone
Recent Music for the Flutes with Diane Grubbe
Friday July 23, 2021 at 5:30pm (PDT)
FREE
Diane Grubbe performs 20th and 21st Century works for flutes large and small by Mario Lavista, Andrew M. Rodriguez, Orlando Jacinto Garciá and Miguel del Aguila. The concert will include a discussion with Mr. Rodriguez about his work, Highways, for flute with glissando headjoint.
This event will be conducted online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
About the Performers:
Diane Grubbe performs regularly with Donald Pippin’s Pocket Opera and also freelances throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, appearing with regional orchestras including Symphony Silicon Valley, Festival Opera and many others. A great fan of new music, Diane often performs with the contemporary music ensemble sfSoundGroup and has been a guest performer with Earplay and the Eco Ensemble. Since 2004 Diane has been the flautista in Quinteto Latino, the Bay Area wind quintet specializing in classical music from Latin America.
In 2012 Quinteto Latino released their first CD, “100 Years of Mexican Music for Wind Quintet.” Diane is a graduate of San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her instructors have included Paul Renzi, Lloyd Gowen and Tim Day of the San Francisco Symphony. She has performed in masterclasses with Julius Baker, Heinz Holliger, Robert Stallman and Robert Dick.
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concert broadcasts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, from Chopin to Chick Corea and Loteria cards to flutes of all shapes and sizes. Enjoy compelling programs of classical, jazz, contemporary, Afro-Cuban music, and more with artistic performances, composer interviews, and a chance to connect with faculty through Q&A
June 25: Josepha Fath, violin
July 9: Elektra Schmidt, piano
July 23: Diane Grubbe, flute
August 6: Erick Peralta, piano
August 20: Charlie Gurke, saxophone
Chick Corea through the Afro-Cuban Perspective with Erick Peralta
Friday August 6, 2021 at 5:30pm (PDT)
FREE
Bringing together his myriad of musical experience and influences, Erick Peralta presents a program blending American jazz and Latin traditions. The program will bring forth an Afro-Cuban/Afro-Latin perspective and interpretation of the music of iconic American jazz pianist Chick Corea: keyboardist, composer and bandleader, considered one of the most influential and beloved artists of the century.
Featuring Erick Peralta, piano/arrangements; Ernesto Mazar-Kindelan, bass; Carlos Caro, percussion; Colin Douglas, drums
This event will be presented online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
About the Performers:
Erick Peralta is a versatile musician with a special appreciation for all styles of music, permitting him to keep open ears for the development of music, while still keeping in mind tradition and history. From an early age, Erick was exposed to various styles of music thanks to his father, such as Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, and Latin Pop music. Classically trained from 6 years old, he began playing professionally in 2005, at the age of 15, then branching out in the San Francisco Bay Area with various Jazz, Rock, Latin Jazz, and Salsa groups.
Following his studies at the SF Community Music Center and the Jazzschool in Berkeley, he’s had jazz studies with late pianist Ray Santisi, Laszlo Gardony, Danilo Perez, Tia Fuller, Ed Tomassi, David Santoro, as well as with Papo Lucca from Sonora Ponceña, and Oscar Hernandez of SHO. Now a graduate from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Erick currently resides in the city of San Francisco. Past notable performances include having performed with multi-Grammy winners Luis Enrique, Susana Baca, and Alejandro Sanz; as well has shared the stage/worked with artists such as Pedrito Martinez, Bayonics, Oscar Stagnaro, Ismael Miranda, Tony Vega, Tito Nieves,, NG2, Richie Zellon, Ray de la Paz, Grupo 5, and more.
Erick has taken part performing in various festivals and venues, such as: San Jose Jazz Festival, the Latin Grammy Awards, Fillmore Jazz Festival, San Francisco International Salsa Festival, The Regency Ball Room, Berklee Performance Center, Boston Convention Center, and the Beantown Jazz Festival.
Along with performing, Erick works in composing and arranging in Jazz, Pop, and Latin music. Currently he is working on several projects, including his own project featuring original jazz compositions for various ensembles.
Having always been a strong advocate for music education, Erick forms part of the faculty at SF Community Music Center, as well serves as a private music teacher in his home studio, teaching piano in styles such as Jazz, Classical, Latin, R&B, and Pop, as well as music theory, composition, and arranging.
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with free concert broadcasts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, Chopin to Chick Corea and Loteria cards to flutes of all shapes and sizes. Enjoy compelling programs of classical, jazz, contemporary, Afro-Cuban music, and more with artistic performances, composer interviews, and a chance to connect with faculty through Q&A
June 25: Josepha Fath, violin
July 9: Elektra Schmidt, piano
July 23: Diane Grubbe, flute
August 6: Erick Peralta, piano
August 20: Charlie Gurke, saxophone
Music Inspired by the Lotería with Charlie Gurke
Friday August 20, 2021 at 5:30pm (PDT)
FREE
This program will debut a suite of original compositions inspired by images and characters from the iconic Mexican Lotería card deck. This music was developed during a monthly residency over the past year and a half, and recorded just before shelter-in-place. CMC Jazz faculty member Charlie Gurke and friends will premiere these performances and share the composition process and inspirations.
Featuring Charlie Gurke, composition/saxophone; David Flores, drums; Marlon Aldana, percussion; Isaac Narell, sax/flute; Luke Kirley,trombone/tuba
Program:
El Diablito
El Sol La Corona
La Bota
La Estrella
La Mano
La Muerte
La Escalera
El Pajaro
This event will be presented online via video conferencing. RSVP to receive the link to join, emailed prior to the start of the discussion.
About the Performers:
Charlie Gurke is a saxophonist, composer, and educator active in the jazz and latin music scenes in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can hear him perform at venues and festivals around the bay with his own ensemble, Gurkestra, with cuban son quintet Latido, and with the salsa band Candela. Charlie teaches jazz ensembles and jazz history at Laney College in Oakland, CA, has been an artist-in-residence at the SF School of the Arts, and a performing artist with the SF Symphony’s Adventures in Music program. He holds a BA in music composition from Cal State East Bay, and a MM in jazz studies from the University of Oregon, where he was a graduate teaching fellow.
