Dear Friends of Del Valle Fine Arts, Please join us for an exciting new Del Valle Proudly announcing our season of concerts by outstanding Fine Arts thirty-fi rst season of professional soloists and professional concerts groups. All concerts will be held in the Bankhead Theater, Livermore’s wonderful 2008–2009 Series in Livermore . . . new performing arts venue. Our 2007–2008 series—our fi rst in the Bankhead Theater—was a resounding suc- The 2008–2009 cess. Our concerts were well-received, our attendance increased substantially, and our patrons were generous with their donations. Concert Series In 2008–2009, our performances will be of a high caliber and an intriguing variety. presented by In addition to our fi ve-concert series, we will be offering two additional concerts, available to our subscribers at special, Del Valle Fine Arts concerts are held reduced prices. in the Bankhead Theater of Livermore’s Del Valle As in the past, we have two primary new Performing Arts Center, located in goals. The fi rst is to make fi ne music downtown Livermore at 2400 First Street, Fine Arts available to the local community at the between Livermore Avenue and Railroad most reasonable price possible. The second Avenue. Convenient, free parking is is to instill an appreciation of music in our available in the Livermore Valley Center youth; therefore, we will continue to Parking Garage on Railroad Avenue. provide free tickets to school-age children All seating is reserved. and specially priced day-of-concert rush Free tickets for school-age youth (grade Now appearing in Livermore’s new tickets to college students. school through high school) and specially It is our pleasure to present to you our priced tickets for college students may be 2008–2009 season. We hope to see you at obtained at the Performing Arts Center box the Bankhead! offi ce on the day of the performance. Sincerely, For additional information about Del The Del Valle Fine Arts Board Valle Fine Arts or about our concerts, please visit our web site, www.delvallefi nearts.org, Carl Anderson, Helena Chi, or phone Art Scott at (925) 447-8269. Elinor Cullen, Roberta Hadley, Charles Hartwig, Eric Horning, Mort Mendelsohn, Don Miller, Mike Nagorka, John Pitts, Doris Ryon, Art Scott, Tania Selden, Lynn Seppala Del Valle Fine Arts, 2008–2009 Season October 4, 2008 November 15, 2008 January 9, 2009 Saturday, 8 p.m.—Concert Series, #1 Saturday, 8 p.m.—Concert Series, #2 Friday, 8 p.m.—Special Added Concert Percussion Group Cincinnati The Felici Piano Trio Kai Gleusteen & Catherine This dynamic young trio came together Ordronneau, –piano duo as graduate students at the University of This Canadian/French duo—currently Indiana. Pianist Wen-Ting Huang hails based in Barcelona—was an audience from Taiwan, where she was honored with favorite when they performed for us in the National Excellence Award for Young 2004. Partners since 1999, they have Artistic Talents when she was 15. She has established themselves as one of the most received degrees from the Vienna Aca- important duos in the interpretation of demy for Music and Performing Arts and sonatas for violin and piano. Kai has been from Indiana and has studied with leading concertmaster of the Orchestra del Gran pianists, including Menahem Pressler. photo bySusanMorning(MammothTimes) Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona since 2000 and is professor at the Escuela Superior The season starts off with a bang—many de Musica de Catalunya. Catherine, who bangs—with this talented trio of percus- focuses on immersing herself in the literary, sionists. Formed in 1979 with the goal of philosophical, and historical inspirations of awakening audiences to the dynamic and the composers whose works she performs, visual delights of a wider world of music, counts among her honors the Concert the group has succeeded in sparking the Award at the Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot imaginations of an international audience in Paris and the Yvonne Lefebure Founda- as they make music on anything from Violinist Rebecca Hang was born in Ger- tion Prize. Together, they have performed amplifi ed cactus needles, newspapers, many and began her violin studies at widely throughout Europe and North and garbage cans to more traditional in- Mainz, then went to Israel where she stud- America. According to the Calgary Herald, struments like drums, cymbals, bells, and ied under Chaim Taub, concertmaster of the “Both performers marimbas. Group members Allen Otte, Israel Philharmonic. Cellist Brian Schuldt, a are exceptional James Culley, and Russell Burge are all well Seattle native, studied at the University of musicians. known as solo performers, educators, and Washington and completed his degrees at Elegant, they recording artists. The group is particularly Indiana, where he studied under top cellists, played with inten- noted for its mastery of contemporary including Janos Starker, and then was ap- sity and unmistak- music. The Washington Post calls a recent pointed to the faculty. He is executive direc- able commitment performance “some of the most beautiful tor of Chamber Music Unbound, director of to the music, music of the season”; the New York Times the Sierra Chamber Workshop, and conduc- searching out the called another performance “a thoroughly tor of the Eastern Sierra Chamber Orchestra. most exquisite rewarding and intensely musical expe- Together, the trio has performed in Europe, ways to shape and rience”; while Fanfare warned, “You South America, and the and is phrase melodies may indeed currently in residence at Mammoth Lakes as and to gently un- perish of grantees of Chamber Music America’s Rural derline expressive Del Valle ecstasy.” Fine Arts Residencies Program. harmony.” Del Valle Fine Arts, 2008–2009 Season January 17, 2009 March 7, 2009 March 29, 2009 Saturday, 8 p.m.—Concert Series, #3 Saturday, 8 p.m.—Concert Series, #4 Sunday, 2 p.m.—Special Added Concert The Stanford Woodwind Quintet Alexander Ghindin, piano & , Formed in 1988, the Stanford Woodwind We are –piano duo Quintet includes principal musicians from honored to be Cellist David Finckel debuted at age 15 Bay Area musical establishments; all are fac- able to present with the Philadelphia Orchestra as winner ulty members at Stanford University. Flutist once again the of the orchestra’s junior competition; two Alexandra Hawley has performed through- most recent years later he won the senior division prize, out the United States both as a soloist and in (2007) Gold and he became ’s fi rst chamber music ensembles; she founded and Medal winner American pupil. In addition, he was the directs the Avedis Chamber Music Series. of the esteemed fi rst winner of the New England Conserva- James Matheson has been principal oboist Cleveland tory’s Piatigorsky Artist Award. A mem- with the San International ber of the Emerson , he also Francisco Piano Competi- performs as a soloist. Pianist Wu Han began Opera Or- tion. Alexander her musical studies at the age of nine and chestra since Ghindin, a within a few years had achieved fi rst prize 1962. Mark graduate of the in all the major competitions in Taiwan. Brandenburg Moscow State For two years she was a participant at the is principal P.I. Tchaikovsky Marlboro Music Festival, and she appears clarinetist in Conservatory, has garnered an astonishing as a soloist internationally. In 2004, the two the Opera San array of awards: at 14, he won the Mos- were named artistic directors of the Cham- Jose Orches- cow Young Pianists’ Competition; at 17, he ber Music Society of . They tra and the became the youngest ever winner at the are also the founders and artistic directors Midsummer International Tchaikovsky Competition; at of Music@Menlo, the acclaimed chamber

Mozart Festi- 22, he received second prize at the Brussels music festival photo byChristianSteiner val Orchestra; International Reine Elizabeth Competition. in Silicon Val- he is on the faculties of both Stanford and As soloist with the Moscow State Philhar- ley. The Wall the University of California, Santa Cruz. monic and other leading orchestras, he has Street Journal Rufus Olivier has held the principal bas- performed throughout Europe and Japan. calls them soon position in the San Francisco Opera In the U.S., he has given recitals in Avery “America’s Orchestra since 1980; he also performs with Fisher Hall in New York and the Kennedy power couple the Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra Center in Washington, D.C. The Washing- of chamber and the Sinfonia Concertante. French horn ton Post raved: “Alexander Ghindin is an music.” Their player Lawrence Ragent has extensive ex- uncommonly musical pianist… his perfor- performance perience as a soloist and is a member of mance was searching, solemn and clean.” for us of an the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and The Cleveland Plain Dealer stated, “He has all-Russian the San Francisco the power and speed of a virtuoso, plus the program Del Valle Contemporary perception and poise needed to explore the promises to be Fine Arts Music Players. inner workings of a score.” sensational. April 4, 2009 Ticket Ordering Information Del Valle Saturday, 8 p.m.—Concert Series, #5 The 5-Concert Series Fine Arts The American String Quartet Saturday, October 4, 2008, 8 p.m. Percussion Group Cincinnati Saturday, November 15, 2008, 8 p.m. The Felici Piano Trio A resident group at the Aspen Music Saturday, January 17, 2009, 8 p.m. The Stanford Woodwind Quintet Festival since 1974 and the Manhattan Saturday, March 7, 2009, 8 p.m. Alexander Ghindin, piano School Saturday, April 4, 2009, 8 p.m. The American String Quartet of Music Individual tickets: $29/$24/$19 since 1984, Series price: $126/$104/$81 (a 13% reduction) the Ameri- photo by Peter Schaaf photo by Peter can String The Special Added Concerts Quartet Friday, January 9, 2009, 8 p.m. Kai Gleusteen & Catherine Ordronneau, violin–piano has gar- Individual tickets: $29/$24/$19 nered in- Special price to Season Subscribers: $14.50/$12/$9.50 ternational (a 50% reduction if ordered with the 5-Concert Series) acclaim Sunday, March 29, 2009, 2 p.m. David Finckel & Wu Han, cello–piano for their Individual tickets: $36/$31/$26 presenta- Special price to Season Subscribers: $32/$28/$23 tions of the (a 10% reduction if ordered with the 5-Concert Series) complete quartets of You must order the Season Series by September 15 to receive the 13% discount on season Beethoven, tickets as well as discounts on special added performances. Schubert, After September 15, tickets to individual performances may be obtained from the Livermore Schoenberg, Bartok and Mozart; they are Valley Performing Arts Center (LVPAC) equally at home with new music, having • In person at the box offi ce, 2400 First Street, Livermore; premiered many important contemporary • By phone, (925) 373-6800; works. The quartet members— • From the LVPAC web site, www.livermoreperformingarts.org. violinists Peter Winograd and Laurie Allen, violist Daniel Avshalomov, and cellist The box offi ce is open Monday–Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. (noon to 9 p.m. on performance days, and Sunday, on performance days only, from noon to 4 p.m.). Wolfram Koessel—all enjoy distinguished solo careers. The Los Angeles Times says, Please Donate to Del Valle Fine Arts! “The American String Quartet’s program Ticket sales account for only about two-thirds of our performance costs. The difference is was, simply put, a comprehensive display made up by the generous donations of our patrons. Donations also fund our free youth of ensemble mastery, of passion, precision tickets and help support our school outreach programs. and interpretive smarts in near perfect Contributor levels are: Benefactor: $500 + Please make your check payable to DVFA. synchrony.” The Berliner Morgenpost states, Patron: $250 – 499 “The fi nesse, the thoughtfulness and depth Your tax-deductible donation Sponsor: $100 – 249 will be acknowledged by letter. of the performance could not be surpassed.” Friend: $25 – 99 Donations are acknowledged in the concert program notes. Del Valle Fine Arts, 2008–2009 Season