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; Carlitos Medrano, 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 Latin-Pop, Afro-Peruvian, and Afro Cuban music. Classically trained from 6 years old, he began playing professionally in the year 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 worked with multi-Grammy winners Alejandro Sanz, Luis Enrique, and Susana Baca; as well has worked with artists such as Pedrito Martinez, John Santos, Juan Medrano “Cotito”, La India, Tito Nieves, Bayonics, and 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, the Independent, The Regency Ball Room, The Fillmore, the Blue Note Napa, San Francisco International Salsa Festival, Berklee Performance Center, Boston Convention Center, the Beantown Jazz Festival, and many more.
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.
Always having 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, 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.
