The Friends of Music enters its 25th year with its 2009-10 Concert Series which will certainly rank among our finest! Audiences will certainly appreciate and enjoy the varied artists' offerings, highlighted by the world-famous Vienna Boys Choir. Except for the Vienna Boys Choir performance on March 7, 2010, all concerts are held at:

Adult season tickets are available for $60 (individual) or $120 (couple). Student (18 and under) season tickets are only $10 when purchased in conjunction with an adult season ticket. Single performance tickets are $15 for adults and $2 for students with the exception of the Vienna Choir Boys concert ($20 for adults, $10 for students) and are available at the door for each concert. Tickets are available at Mory's and Words and Pictures. To order season tickets, mail a check or money order to:

2009-10 CONCERT SERIES

9/20 - Boris Kucharsky - 10/4 - Teresa Walters - 1/14 - Trio Con Brio, Copenhagen
2/14 - Di Wu - 3/7 - The Vienna Boys Choir - 4/11 - The Cypress String Quartet

Boris Kucharsky, violin
Sunday, September 20, 2009, 3:00 pm - Calvary Assembly of God Church

Of Russian, Slovakian, German, and Jewish descent, Boris Kucharsky was born in Dortmund, Germany, in 1971. At the age of seven he started the violin and in 1984 was admitted to the Nemuhin School near London where his teacher was Margaret Norris. His busy trans-European schedule is interspersed with regular visits to the USA (his New York début in 2004 having been a triumphant success) and the Far East where he is a much sought-after guest in both concert halls and recording studios.

His violin, the "Baron Knoop," was made in 1735 by Carlo Bergonzi in Cremona.

Boris Kucharsky's website

Teresa Walters, piano
Sunday, October 4, 2009, 3:00 pm - Calvary Assembly of God Church

Becoming known worldwide as "The International First Lady of Piano," Teresa Walters is described by Austrian National Television as "that rare musical phenomenon - a pianist born to the instrument. One of the world’s most significant pianists, she creates magic with the music." In recent seasons, she has performed on six continents and in most of the fifty United States, earning the world's highest praise for her solo recitals and performances as guest artist with orchestras. Her recent engagements in Russia as orchestral soloist received 5 curtain calls. A reviewer wrote: "Teresa Walters' playing proved to me and to the audience that she deserves to be in the top tier of piano soloists in the world."

Her Lincoln Center recital in New York was sold out and won a standing ovation from an adoring public. The press wrote: "Teresa Walters' performance was quite literally sovereign. At the last, one was simply blown away." The American Record Guide writes: "Her competition is virtually nil." In recent years, she has performed as recitalist and orchestral soloist on six continents and in most of the 50 United States at venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Salle Cortot in Paris, Moscow's Great Hall, Australia's International Conservatorium and Jerusalam's Concert Hall. With her vast repertoire, she has also performed at Vienna's Beethoven Festival and at Spanish Music festivals in Barcelona and Madrid. Her recent Lincoln Center recital in New York earned a standing ovation from a capacity crowd. She is the first American pianist invited by Hungary to present the Anniversary Concert in honor of Liszt's birthday. Prestigious invitations to perform at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the Liszt Museum in Budapest as well as at Liszt's Birthplace in Raiding and at Esterhazy Palace under the patronage of Prince Anton Esterhazy attest to her growing reputation as one of the finest interpreters of Liszt performing and recording today.

Teresa Walters' website

Trio Con Brio, Copenhagen
Thursday, January 14, 2010, 7:30 pm - Calvary Assembly of God Church

Trio con Brio Copenhagen - the Korean sisters Soo-Jin Hong and Soo-Kyung Hong and the Danish pianist Jens Elvekjaer - was the recipient of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award in 2005. This biennial award, one of the most coveted in the world of chamber music, honours in perpetuity the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio by encouraging and enhancing the career of an extraordinarily accomplished "rising" piano trio. The prize carries with it appearances on twenty major concert series across the USA including New York City's Carnegie Hall; Trio con Brio Copenhagen was chosen by members of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio as well as the eminent musicians Claude Frank (pianist), Michael Tree (violist of the Guarneri Quartet), and Peter Wiley (former cellist of the Beaux Arts Trio).

The American Record Guide wrote of the trio's debut CD: "One of the greatest performances of chamber music I've ever encountered... What stands out from this ensemble is the range of tone and sound... They command an amazing range of timbres. Melodies sing with an aching sweetness, or seduce with wild eroticism, or haunt with impenetrable mystery." And Gramophone Magazine wrote: "it's easy to see what so impressed the judges...[the] performances can compete with the best available...airtight ensemble...a superb, greatly gifted chamber group."

Founded in Vienna in 1999, the trio first drew attention with a sensational performance that took the highest prize at Germany's prestigious ARD-Munich Competition in 2002. Since then, they won first prize in several more competitions: Italy's Premio Vittorio Gui (Florence), Norway's Trondheim Chamber Music Competition, and the Danish Radio Competition.They also won the "Allianz Prize" for Best Ensemble in Germany's Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and second prize in the Vienna Haydn Competition and the Premio Trio di Trieste (Italy, 2002). Critics have praised the trio for their "sparkling joie de vivre" and "magic dialogue;" a review of their performance at the Salzburg Mozarteum said, "they cast a spell over their audience...so alive, so musical...ravishing." Trio con Brio Copenhagen belongs unquestionably to the upper echelons of young chamber ensembles performing today.

Trio Con Brio's website

Di Wu, Pianist
Sunday, February 14, 2010, 3:00 pm - Calvary Assembly of God Church

Praised in The Wall Street Journal as "a most mature and sensitive pianist," Chinese-born Di Wu’s reputation as an elegant yet exciting musician continues to grow, and 2009 has been a banner year: During the spring and summer she made her New York Alice Tully Hall recital debut as winner of Juilliard’s William Petschek Piano Debut Recital Award, was named Artist of the Month by MusicalAmerica.com, and was awarded a Vendome Virtuosi prize at Lisbon’s prestigious Vendome Competition as well as one of the coveted prizes at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. This fall, she will make her Philadelphia Orchestra debut at a gala benefit concert under Charles Dutoit, as well as her debut at Avery Fisher Hall in a fund-raising gala for Africa.

Ms. Wu made her professional debut at 14 with the Beijing Philharmonic, since then she has toured widely in Asia, Europe and the United States, where her recent orchestral engagements have included appearances with Washington’s National Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and twice in Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. Ms. Wu made her solo debut in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2005, and has given recitals in Cleveland Play House, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Bass Performance Hall in Texas, and more. In Europe, she has presented recitals at festivals such as Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund, Klavier Festival Rurh and the Busoni International Piano Festival, and at venues such as the Musee de Grenoble and Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

During the 2009-10 season Ms. Wu is scheduled for a 40-concert tour which will take her from California to Germany, including debuts with the Fort Worth Symphony and Hamburg Philharmoniker, and recitals in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, to name a few. Of special note, there will be two residencies: one in early November at the University of Vermont, during which Ms. Wu will give a Master Class, perform with the University orchestra and give a recital, and the second in March at the 72nd Annual Whittier College Johann Sebastian Bach Festival in California.

Di Wu's website

The Vienna Boys Choir
Sunday, March 7, 2010, 7:30 pm - Trinity Lutheran Church

The Vienna Boys' Choir (aka The Vienna Choir Boys, German: Die Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of trebles and altos based in Vienna. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries around the world, and individually interviewed.

The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The choir was, for all practical purposes, established by a letter written by Maximilian I of Habsburg on 7 July 1498. In the letter the Emperor instructed court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. Jurij Slatkonja became the director of the ensemble. In 1920 the Hofkapelle (court musicians) was disbanded. However, the rector at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924 the "Vienna Boys' Choir" was officially founded and has evolved into a professional music group.

There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen. The Vienna Boys' Choir is divided into four sub-groups or touring choirs. The choirs are of equal standing; the tours, appearances in Vienna and recording projects are shared among them. Each choir has a choirmaster, and two tutors or prefects who travel with the boys.

The four choirs are named after four famous Austrian composers associated with the choir's history: Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert. The choir still performs much of their music.

The Vienna Boys Choir's website

The Cypress String Quartet
Sunday, April 11, 2010, 3:00 pm - Calvary Assembly of God Church

Widely celebrated for the power of its performances and its passionate dedication to the genre, the Cypress String Quartet combines technical precision with imaginative programming to create unforgettable concert experiences. Cecily Ward, Tom Stone, Ethan Filner and Jennifer Kloetzel have shown an unfailing dedication to exploring the masterworks of the time-honored, classic chamber music repertoire with its unique and refreshingly open sound.

While individually acclaimed musicians in their own right with training from prestigious institutions including The Juilliard School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal College of Music, the Cypress String Quartet has honed its ensemble skills with over thirteen years experience performing around the world.

On top of a busy schedule of over ninety concerts each year at venues across America and internationally, including the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival, the Cypress String Quartet is a vibrant member of the San Francisco arts community and is dedicated to reflecting and enriching the city’s cultural landscape.

The Cypress String Quartet's website