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SEBASTOPOL ARTS CENTER SHINES IN PIANO BENEFIT CONCERTby Nicki Bell Monday, February 18, 2013  Sebastopol's new Center for the Arts was the location Feb. 15 for a benefit
concert to rebuild one of the hall's pianos. The old Sonomas County Vets building,
a prominent Sebastopol landmark tucked a block off Main Street at the entrance to
Ives Park, become an art center late last year. It featu...
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ORGANIST AND CHURCH MUSIC SCHOLAR CAROLYN WIESTER DIES AT 79by Terry McNeill Monday, February 11, 2013  Long time Sonoma County musician Carolyn Wiester died Feb. 3 in Rohnert Park after a year-long struggle with cancer.
Ms. Wiester was closely associated with activities of the Redwood Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and was a past Dean of the Organization. She was also a pianist noted f...
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ADDITIONAL OPERA PERFORMANCES SCHEDULED AT SSUby Terry McNeill Monday, February 11, 2013  Five performances of Sonoma State University’s two-opera production, Haydn’s “Deserted Island” and Vaughn Williams’ “Riders to the Sea,” are scheduled for mid February in the University’s Person Theater.
Dates are Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. (performance with piano replacing the orchestra) and at 7:30 p.m. F...
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FRENCH ORGAN MUSIC FEATURED IN CAUCHEFER CHOPLIN MASTER CLASSby Terry McNeill Saturday, October 20, 2012  The virtuoso French organist Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin gave a master class Oct. 20 in Santa Rosa’s Resurrection Parish, associated with her recital in the same venue the following afternoon.
Peter Duranceau, prepared by local organist David Parsons, worked with Ms. Cauchefer-Choplin on Vie...
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SEBASTOPOL ARTS CENTER TO MOVE TO SNAZZY BIG BUILDINGby Terry McNeill Monday, September 17, 2012  With all the news revolving around the opening of the Green Music Center, another exciting new building for music has seemingly slipped under the cultural radar. The Sebastopol Center for the Arts is moving to a larger facility, the County Veteran’s Building on High Street in Sebastopol. A festi...
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RUSSIAN RIVER CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY SUSPENDS SEASONby Terry McNeill Thursday, September 06, 2012  After 20 seasons of producing classical chamber music programs, the Russian River Chamber Music Society has suspended concerts for the coming 2012-2013 season.
Founder and Artistic Director Gary McLaughlin announced that the Board of Directors, headed by President Richard Kagel, is considering seve...
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MUSIC CHEST WINNERS TO PERFORM MAY 6 AT SAN DOMENICO SCHOOLby Terry McNeill Thursday, April 19, 2012  Marin’s Music Chest’s 2012 winners were announced April 19 and each will perform May 6 at 12:30 p..m. in San Domenico’s School Auditorium. The School is at 1500 Butterfield Rd., San Anselmo, CA 94960. Pictured above are the winners: Front Row (l to r) Stephanie Oh, Chloe Fung, Hallie Jo Gist, Kat...
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ETUDE COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED; PRIZE RECITAL APRIL 14 IN NEWMANby Terry McNeill Monday, April 09, 2012  Winners for the 2012 Etude Competition have been announced after April 1 auditions in Santa Rosa Junior College’s Forsyth Hall.
Continuing a long tradition and originally sponsored by the Santa Rosa Etude Club, the Competition is now independent and managed by Director Peggy Nance. The Santa Rosa...
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SEPTEMBER SR SYMPHONY CONCERT TO SHOWCASE WEILL HALL SOUNDby Terry McNeill Wednesday, April 04, 2012  This article is the first in a series concerning the coming SRS season’s seven sets of concerts and an opening gala.
A new concert hall and an old orchestra are not strange bedfellows, as witness the Santa Rosa Symphony, which will play its first formal Weill Hall concert at Sonoma State Uni...
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SR SYMPHONY SEASON TO SHOWCASE THE GREEN MUSIC CENTERby Terry McNeill Wednesday, March 21, 2012  Recently the Santa Rosa Symphony announced its inaugural Green Music Center calendar with a daunting schedule of seven sets of concerts, each program having a snazzy title and seemingly designed to showcase the acoustics of the 1,400-seat Weill Hall. The 2012-13 season, the Orchestra’s 84th, present...
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DONOR EVENT AT GREEN MUSIC CENTER UNVEILS 2012 SEASON PLANSby Steve Osborn Tuesday, January 03, 2012  Lang Lang. San Francisco Symphony. Carnegie Hall. Those were the three big names on the lips of speakers at a donor gathering in the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University on New Year’s Day. The upshot was that all three big names will be involved with the upcoming season in the new facility,...
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HAYDEN TO RETIRE FROM OAKMONT CONCERT SERIES DIRECTION JAN. 1by Wolfgang Hummel Wednesday, November 09, 2011  Robert Hayden, impresario for two decades at the Oakmont Concert Series, recently announced his retirement from managing the felicitous monthly concerts, effective January 1.
Mr. Hayden, 89, moved to Oakmont after education executive positions in places as disparate as Thessaloniki, San Salvador,...
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NORTH BAY SINGERS SHINE IN ANNUAL NATS HIGH TEA HIGH C'S CONCERTby Terry McNeill Tuesday, November 01, 2011  Sonoma County’s preeminent organization of teachers of singing, the Redwood Empire Chapter of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) held their annual recital Oct. 29 at Santa Rosa’s First United Methodist Church. The fund-raising event supports the spring scholarship auditions for loca...
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NEALE TO CONDUCT ALL PROGRAMS IN NEW MARIN SYMPHONY SEASONby Terry McNeill Monday, June 06, 2011  Announcing its 59th year, the Marin Symphony has set five pairs of concerts for the 2011-2012 season spotlighting an eclectic array of works, beginning with an all-Tchaikovsky event October 2 and 4.
Conducted by Alasdair Neale in his tenth year in Marin, Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien will be foll...
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UKIAH SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES PROVOCATIVE 2011-2012 SEASONby Terry McNeill Sunday, June 05, 2011  Ukiah’s innovative Symphony announced its 2011-2012 season May 27, a season of rich variety and featuring new groups of mostly local soloists in Mendocino College’s Center Theater.
Under the baton of veteran conductor Les Pfutzenreuter, four classical music concerts have individual themes, leading ...
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MADE IN NAPA IS THE NEW SEASON'S THEME FOR THE NAPA VALLEY SYMPHONYby Terry McNeill Sunday, June 05, 2011  Celebrating its new 79th season, the Napa Valley Symphony will present seven single concerts, all on Sundays, in Yountville’s Lincoln Theater Napa Valley with a series of guest conductors.
Made in Napa is the season’s theme and features three compositions by composers of the greater Napa community....
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GAIL EMBREE RECORDS SCHUMANN MASTERPIECEby Terry McNeill Monday, May 30, 2011  Santa Rosa pianist Gail Embree recorded May 5 Schumann's multi-part Carnaval, Op. 9, and the CD has just been released.
One of Schumann's most popular and demanding works, Carnaval has been a favorite of virutosi since its composition in 1835, and has been played in the North Bay Concerts Grand s...
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CELLIST CHRIS JENNINGS ENDS FOUR DECADES WITH MARIN SYMPHONYby Terry McNeill Wednesday, May 11, 2011  Cellist Chris Jennings, 44-year veteran of the Marin Symphony, retired from the orchestra at the season-concluding concerts May 1 and 3 at the Marin Center in San Rafael.
Joining in 1967 after auditioning, Ms. Jennings and the Symphony were then playing to audience members seated in bleachers in a ...
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MUSIC CHEST HONORS 15 YOUNG MUSICIANS IN MARIN COMPETITIONby Terry McNeill Tuesday, April 19, 2011  The Marin Music Chest, a 78-year old organization which presents annual scholarships to Marin County students studying classical music, has announced its 2011 scholarship award winners and two May concerts featuring solo performances by each student musician. Scholarships of $800 each were awarded t...
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ETUDE COMPETITION AUDITIONS GENERATES 13 WINNERSby Terry McNeill Sunday, April 10, 2011  The North Bay’s Etude Competition auditions produced 13 winners April 10 in a spirited event at SRJC’s Newman Auditorium. Musicians ages 11 through 18 participated.
Sponsored by generous contributions by the Optimist Club and directed by pianist Peggy Nance, the Etude Competition is the premier ev...
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SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES SUMMER ACADEMY AT SO CO COUNTRY DAY SCHOOLby Terry McNeill Saturday, March 26, 2011  The Santa Rosa Symphony has announced a Summer Music Academy at the Sonoma Country Day School July 11 through July 29.
Comprising workshops for individual instruments and ensembles for string, woodwinds, brass and percussion, the Academy’s early bird discount deadline is April 15. The deadline for...
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SURPRISE WEILL DONATION BOOSTS GREEN MUSIC CENTER CONSTRUCTION AT SSUby Terry McNeill Friday, March 25, 2011  After years of moribund fund raising and uncertainty about the future, the Green Music Center at Rohnert Park’s Sonoma State University appears to be closer to finally opening.
New York banker, financier and philanthropist Sanford Weill, a recent purchaser of a lavish Sonoma County estate, donate...
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OAKMONT MUSICAL FIGURE HARRY FRY DIES AT 84by Terry McNeill Thursday, March 24, 2011  Long-time Sonoma County musical figure harry Fry died March 8 at his Oakmont home. He was 84 and suffered from cancer.
Mr. Fry was born in Sheffield. England, and graduated in physics from Sheffield University. In World War II he was involved in war-related industrial research and in the late 196...
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AUDITION DATES FOR MARIN'S MUSIC CHEST SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST AVAILABLE ON LINEby Terry McNeill Wednesday, February 23, 2011  Marin’s Music Chest has launched its annual scholarship audition program to provide financial assistance to support Marin County students studying classical music.
Students in woodwinds, brass, string instruments, piano, percussion and voice are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be Marin County...
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ETUDE COMPETITION BEGINS WITH AUDITIONS APRIL 10 AT SRJCby Terry McNeill Wednesday, February 23, 2011  Sponsored by the Santa Rosa Optimist Club, the Etude Competition is scheduling its auditions for the 2011 contest April 10 at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Forsyth Hall. Categories include piano, strings and woodwinds (senior and junior) and voice (seniors only).
Ages for the senior division are 14 ...
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KDFC CLASSICAL RADIO MOVES DOWN THE FM DIALby Greg Bottini Tuesday, January 25, 2011  KDFC-FM, the San Francisco Bay Area's only full-time classical music radio station since KKHI changed format in 1994, has sold its operation to a new owner and has vacated its longtime broadcast frequency of 102.1 MHz. The new owner is the University of Southern California, in conjunction with Enter...
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San Francisco's KDFC to be Managed as a Non-Profit by USCby John Thompson Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The popular University of Southern California classical station KUSC is taking over management of KDFC under a non-profit model. In the North Bay the station can now be heard on FM 89.9. For further details read a letter about the chang...
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APSC TRUMPET PLAYER RECALLS HISTORIC CHINA TOUR EXPERIENCESby Philip Beard Friday, January 14, 2011  My apologies for dawdling so long with this summary report of my trip to China with the APSC (American Philharmonic Orchestra of Sonoma County) that occurred from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6. I appear to have brought back with me (and many other orchestra members with them) a virus that has laid me low durin...
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ORGANIST LAYTEN HECKMAN DIES AT 64by Carolyn Wiester` Sunday, January 09, 2011  Layten P. Heckman, widely-known organist, died Dec. 13 at Sebastopol's Palm Drive Hospital from complications of a blood infection. He was 64 and lived in Rio Nido.
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Mr. Heckman graduated from St. Olaf College, Minnesota, and was a career composer, director and publisher of ...
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APSC PLAYERS FLY TO SAN FRANCISCO AFTER HISTORIC NINE-CONCERT CHINA TOURby Philip Beard Thursday, January 06, 2011  It’s my final report before leaving China, and we lucked out weather wise yesterday. We played out last concert the night before here in Beijing, and yesterday went to the Great Wall. It was pretty wonderful – incredible scenery, a great sense of history and the cleanest air we have breathed sinc...
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EXPLOSIVE FINAL SHANGHAI CONCERT IN APSC'S WHIRLWIND TOUR OF CHINESE CITIESby Krisha Montmorency Monday, January 03, 2011  So you all probably think that China has eaten us alive by now. In a way, it has! It’s been a non-stop whirlwind for a week (a concert every night in a new city) and four airline flights in that week alone. Yesterday and today we finally got a break without concerts in Shanghai, and we are havin...
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APSC BARNSTORMS LAST CITIES IN HISTORIC CHINA CONCERT TOURby Philip Beard Sunday, January 02, 2011  It’s been intense. We played our first seven concerts on seven consecutive nights, with flights and bus rides and sometimes some sleep in between. Good to fantastic reception from various audiences; good to mediocre hotel accommodations and hotel food; decent performing venues, with one notable e...
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AMERICAN PHILHARMONIC TO PLAY THIRD CONCERT IN SHANGHAI ON HISTORIC CHINA TOURby Terry McNeill Tuesday, December 28, 2010  First information from the American Philharmonic’s trip to China, sent by trumpet player Philip Beard:
From December 28 – how is the trip? “The trip is exhausting but fun. Three concerts under our belts so far, at Dalian, Taizhou and today in this incredible performance hall called the ‘Oriental ...
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CELEBRATED CONDUCTOR NINA SHUMAN DIES AT 56by Terry McNeill Monday, December 13, 2010  North Coast music lovers mourn the loss of Nina Elizabeth Shuman, who died peacefully in her home Dec. 12 after a 30-month battle with cancer.
Born April 27, 1954, in New York City, Ms. Shuman was surrounded by music and art from childhood summers in Santa Barbara, where her father, Davis Shuman, a...
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APSC TO BE THE FIRST LOCAL ORCHESTRA TO TOUR CHINAby Brian Lloyd Saturday, November 27, 2010  American Philharmonic-Sonoma County has been invited by the government of China and the Dalian Yilan Concert Production Company to tour northern China over this coming New Year's holiday. Sponsored and supported almost entirely by the Chinese government, the orchestra will perform eight concerts in ...
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MUSIC AND ART TO BE PART OF CORRICKS STORE'S 95TH BIRTHDAYby Terry McNeill Sunday, November 21, 2010  Corricks, Santa Rosa’s unique downtown store, is celebrating its 95th anniversary with weekend musicales and exceptional art in November and the first week of December.
Hosted by store President Kevin Brown, the events will run from Nov. 13 to December 5, Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 2 p.m. I...
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TBAby Terry McNeill Saturday, September 04, 2010 PROFILE
PIANO FAN JIM BURNS DEAD AT 92by Terry McNeill Monday, July 12, 2010  One of Sonoma County’s most stalwart music fans, H. G. (Jim) Burns, died in Santa Rosa July 6 from cancer after a year-long.
Born June 2, 1918, in Los Angeles, Jim taught psychology at Los Angeles City College for 30 years prior to moving to Santa Rosa in 1995. Blinded by glaucoma at five, Jim had...
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PICKER'S OPERA "EMMELINE" PLAYS MAY 28 TO JUNE 12 AT CINNABARby Friday, May 28, 2010  It's going to be a busy month for Petaluma's little theater on the hill. Cinnabar Theater is in rehearsals for its West Coast premiere of Tobias Picker's romantic and haunting opera "Emmeline" and is preparing for the arrival of the composer to attend rehearsals and the opening performances May 28 ...
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GODOWSKY FILM PREMIERES IN SANTA ROSAby Donna Kline Saturday, March 27, 2010  Pianists and music lovers familiar with the pianists of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries will want to see a newly-released documentary “The Buddha of the Piano,” concerning the life and achievements of pianist Leopold Godowsky. This is the second documentary produced by Bay Area pianist Anton...
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OLGA SAMAROFF FILM SCREENED NOV. 10 AT TIBURON GALAby Terry McNeill Tuesday, November 10, 2009  Olga Samaroff is a forgotten name in the pantheon of pianists, but in the first two decades of the twentieth century, she was among a small and select group of great women concert artists, including Sophie Menter, Teresa Carreño, Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, Adele Aus de Ohe and Julie Rivé-King.
Bor...
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Prelude to the Afternoon of a Beagleby Steve Osborn Thursday, November 05, 2009
Note: The following presentation was made prior to a performance of the Debussy string quartet at the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa on July 26, 2009.
Good afternoon, and welcome to the Charles M. Schulz Museum. My name is Steve Osborn, and I’m the violist for the Felix String Quartet, w...
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In Memoriam: J. Karla Lemon 1954-2009by John Thompson Thursday, October 22, 2009  J. Karla Lemon tragically passed away October 15, 2009, in Berkeley after suffering a massive stroke during surgery to correct a congenital heart condition. For formal obituaries and commentary, please see www.sfcv.org and Diane Peterson's detailed writeup of Ms. Lemon's life in the Santa Rosa P...
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ALICIA DE LARROCHA - A TRIBUTEby Terry McNeill Tuesday, September 29, 2009  To my memory Alicia de Larrocha played only once in Sonoma County, a cold Sunday afternoon in 1969 in the Santa Rosa High School auditorium. The local piano wasn’t adequate and a concert instrument was sent from San Francisco. The Sonoma State faculty pianist of the time, Steve Cosgove, was wild w...
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YOUTH SYMPHONY RETURNING FROM EUROPEby John Thompson Thursday, June 25, 2009  After a quick tour in the Czech Republic and Germany, the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra is heading home.
Click here to read the Press De...
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SRJC SYMPHONIC READING ORCHESTRAby John Thompson Wednesday, May 27, 2009
This orchestra class will provide an opportunity for amateur and professional musicians to read a variety of classical orchestral works for pure enjoyment. With the absence of the added stress of a concert, musicians will be able to focus on social and musical rewards such as meeting fellow musician...
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(POSTPONED) AMERICAN PHILHARMONIC JOINS ART DISTRICT'S FIRST FRIDAY JUNE 5THby John Thompson Wednesday, May 27, 2009  JUNE 5, 2009 - Tonight's EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN -- WATCH FOR DETAILS OF NEW PERFORMANCE DATE!
AMERICAN PHILHARMONIC - SONOMA COUNTY
Gabriel Sakakeeny, Musical Director
APSC JOINS ART DISTRICT'S FIRST FRIDAY JUNE 5TH
American Philharmonic - Sonoma County will literally open its ...
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CALLING ALL SANTA ROSA YOUTH ORCHESTRA ALUMSby John Thompson Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra Alums!
The Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra is planning a special celebration concert, taking place on Sunday, June 7, 2009, of the past 50 years. This Bon Voyage Concert is sure to be a great concert and a wonderful send-off for the YO's European tour. Our ...
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ABSOLUTE MUSIC TO PLAY TROUT QUINTET ON MARCH 8by Alfred Batzdorff Friday, February 27, 2009  One of my earliest memories relating to classical music is of a house concert my parents hosted when we lived in Breslau, Germany. It could have been to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in 1930, but I may be off by a year or two. In any case, it was surely before 1933. About 50 friends, fami...
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NORTH BAY PIANO RECITALS ABOUND FOR 2008-2009by Terry McNeill Sunday, October 19, 2008
Solo piano recitals in the Santa Rosa area have had an inauspicious history. In fact, there really wasn’t much of a solo piano season in the past. The SRJC Chamber Concerts series would usually feature only one high-caliber pianist each year in its special Randolph Newman concert, including such lum...
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IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT ACOUSTICby Steve Osborn Saturday, August 30, 2008  The enjoyment of chamber music depends heavily on the acoustic friendliness of the spaces in which the music is performed. A bad acoustic can slam the lid on an otherwise great concert, muffling sound in a virtual coffin. Although Sonoma County has more than its fair share of acoustically dead halls...
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SANTA ROSA SYMPHONY 2008-09: FERRANDIS TRIUMPHANTESby Terry McNeill Thursday, May 22, 2008  An orchestra's announcement of the coming season's programs is a propitious time for reflection. Are there repertoire trends with a new conductor? Why has a particular soloist been selected? Will the Shostakovich Fourth ever be programmed? Can more choral works be heard?
The Santa Rosa Symphony's ...
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ORGANIST LAYTEN HECKMAN DIES AT 64by Carolyn Wiester`Sunday, January 09, 2011
Layten P. Heckman, widely-known organist, died Dec. 13 at Sebastopol's Palm Drive Hospital from complications of a blood infection. He was 64 and lived in Rio Nido.
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