Santa Rosa Symphony's Early Romantics Festival Opens January 27 with first of three chamber concerts

Festival Finale in April features Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique

News Release Contact:
Sara Obuchowski, (707) 546-7097 ext 218

December 11, 2006

(SANTA ROSA, CA) – The Santa Rosa Symphony presents its 4-concert Festival Series in 2007. Titled The Early Romantics: Loss and Transcendence, the festival offers chamber concerts at Sonoma Country Day School’s Jackson Theater on January 27, February 24 and March 31, and finishes up at Wells Fargo Center on April 28 with a full symphonic exploration of Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz. Subscriptions for the entire series are still available by calling 54-MUSIC (707-546-8742).

This fifth annual Festival program features the renowned pianist (and former teacher of Jeffrey Kahane) Mack McCray. McCray, who is a faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, will play and direct a foray into the chamber music of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Chopin and Liszt in three concerts at the intimate Jackson Theater. Starting time for these concerts is 5:30 p.m. and each will be followed by a free wine reception with the musicians, courtesy of Jackson Wine Estates.

As in the past, the Festival will conclude at the Wells Fargo Center, with a full symphonic performance and an enlightening “exploring the classics” multi-media presentation.
The featured piece for the finale is Symphonie fantastique, Hector Berlioz’ musical embodiment of the madness of romantic love; it will be performed by the Santa Rosa Symphony under the baton of George Thomson. Hosting the evening and presenting the lecture-demonstration is the entertaining Robert Winter, Professor of Music and Presidential Chair in Music and Interactive Arts at UCLA. The Wall Street Journal has called him “The best public explicator of music since Leonard Bernstein.” Prof. Winter’s talk will constitute the first half of the program; the entire Berlioz symphony will be performed following intermission.

By purchasing a subscription package to the 4-concert festival, patrons receive the best seats and up to $25 in savings over the single ticket price. In addition, the array of talent—from composer to conductor to lecturer to orchestra—assures that the Early Romantics Festival will be an uplifting musical experience as well as an exceptional value.

To subscribe, call the Santa Rosa Symphony Box Office at 54-MUSIC (707-546-8742)

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or come in person in to the Symphony Box Office at 50 Santa Rosa Avenue, first floor just off the elevator lobby, during box office hours. Tickets for single concerts are also available.