More Information About Violinist Leila Josefowicz with John Novacek

Website

http://sfperformances.org/performances/1011/LeilaJosefowicz.html

Description

Adventurous violinist Leila Josefowicz and frequent collaborator John Novacek come to San Francisco Performances with a program Josefowicz describes as “a portrait of what I believe in,” at the Herbst Theatre.  

Josefowicz emerged on the music scene as a prodigy in 1994 with a Carnegie Hall debut conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. Two years later, she made her San Francisco debut with SF Performances and John Novacek, and since then she has continued pushing boundaries with savvy and vision.  

The program includes Shostakovich’s emotive, often dark Sonata, which he wrote near the end of his life. “John and I have played it a lot, and love the piece,” she says. “People are riveted by it, including ourselves.” Another of her favorite pieces, Stravinksy’s masterful Duo Concertante features on the program, together with Erkki Sven Tüür’s Conversio.  

“It’s very unexpected,” Josefowicz says of Conversio. “The steps from beginning to end are a million tiny changes that makes the great change make sense. It’s a transformation….very imaginative, very original.”  

Current projects for Josefowicz include a commission for Magnus Lindberg. She also frequently collaborates with John Adams, whose Road Movies she and Novacek played with SF Performances in 2002.  

“That is something that has definitely transformed my own idea of what music is,” she says of her constant quest for new commissions. “A lot of artists play dead composers and will never get to know who they are. It’s very fascinating for me to hear and play a piece, and to know the person behind the music.”  

About San Francisco Performances:
San Francisco Performances is recognized as one of the leading presenters in the world. Founded by Ruth Felt in 1979 with a season of seven concerts, the organization is now in its 31st season and proudly features more than 60 mainstage performances of chamber music, recitals, contemporary dance and jazz. Through the years, SF Performances has presented more than 100 premieres and San Francisco debuts, introducing such acclaimed artists in recital as composer/pianist Thomas Adès, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, as well as presenting single choreographer-led international dance companies such as Ohud Naharin’s Batsheva from Israel and Nacho Duato’s Compañía Nacional de Danza from Spain.  

Through successful partnerships with artists, Bay Area schools and community organizations, SF Performances has also established one of the most recognized and respected performing arts education programs in the country. Anchored by the artist residency program that brings artists into classrooms and community workshops, the arts education projects help expose new audiences, young and old, to the great performers of our time. SF Performances outreach promotes active engagement with the performing arts, deepening the experience while opening events to diverse audiences.  

Scheduled Program:
Brahms: Sonatensatz
Shostakovich: Sonata, Opus 134
Stravinsky: Duo Concertante
Erkki Sven Tüür: Conversio
Schubert: Rondo in B minor

About the Ticket Supplier: San Francisco Performances

Founded in 1979, San Francisco Performances is the Bay Area's leading independent presenter of chamber music, vocal and instrumental recitals, jazz and contemporary dance. Under the artistic direction of its founder, Ruth Felt, the organization presents internationally acclaimed and emerging performing artists, introduces innovative programs, and builds new and diversified audiences for the arts through education and outreach activities that also strengthen the local performing arts community.