Goldstar

In recent years The Mystical Arts of Tibet tours, featuring the famed multiphonic singers of Drepung Loseling monastery, have taken the world by storm. Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a means of promoting world peace and healing through sacred performing art, they have performed in many of America's greatest theaters and music halls. Learn more...

Pioneering Chinese classical guitarist Xuefei Yang performs at the Herbst Theatre. The first guitarist from mainland China to launch an international recording career, she's appeared in over 40 countries, and her albums have reached the charts in Hong Kong and the UK. She'll be playing Bach's Lute Suite, Spanish music, and more. Learn more...

No reed player is better equipped to celebrate Goodman's centennial than Eddie Daniels, a clarinet virtuoso (and top-shelf tenor saxophonist) who may be the greatest living interpreter of the Goodman repertoire. Daniels brings a modern sensibility to those classic tunes indelibly tied to the King of Swing. Bay Area clarinetist Jim Rothermel opens the show with his own take on Goodman's huge legacy. Learn more...

For over 60 years, the Juilliard String Quartet has been at the forefront of American chamber music. This renowned group recently welcomed a new member: violinist Nick Eanet, formerly a concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera. In a concert at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, they'll play quartets by Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Mario Davidovsky. Learn more...

Paula West sings at the Herbst Theatre. West is one of California's most acclaimed jazz singers, known for her smoky voice and sophisticated interpretations of classic tunes. Backed by the George Mesterhazy Quartet, she'll sing songs ranging from Cole Porter and the Gershwins to Bob Dylan and Peggy Lee. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances welcomes Imani Winds. The dynamic quintet is known for their commitment to new music from across the globe. Their program at the Herbst Theatre is highlighted by Anatomy of a Box, a new work by jazz vibraphonist/composer and multiple Grammy nominee Stefon Harris, who will perform live with Imani Winds. Learn more...

Humanities West presents a two-day program of lectures, discussions, music and dance presentations celebrating the International Year of Astronomy in honor of the 400th anniversary of modern astronomy and Galileo's first use of the telescope in 1609. The weekend includes everything from a Copernicus impersonator to lectures about dark energy and the search for intelligent life in the universe. Learn more...

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, world-famous violinist and Music Director, leads the New Century Chamber Orchestra in a concert highlighted by a new arrangement of Mussorgsky's famous Pictures at an Exhibition. Salerno-Sonnenberg will also perform Bach's Concerto for Violin in D minor with the ensemble. Learn more...

Stepology presents the 2009 Bay Area Rhythm Exchange, featuring the uniquely American art form of tap dance with live musical accompaniment. Experience the joy and wonder of tap dancing with an all-star cast of tappers from Broadway, film and the concert stage. This annual concert performance has earned multiple mentions in the San Francisco Chronicle's "Top Ten Dance Performances of the Year." Learn more...

Help is on the Way XV: No Business Like Show Business is the Bay Area's largest annual, star-studded AIDS benefit concert and gala. Performers include Tyne Daly, John Lloyd Young, Joely Fisher, Melinda Doolittle, Jeanie Tracy, Susan Anton, Jim Bailey and more. A silent auction in the main lobby begins before the show at 5:00pm and closes at intermission. Learn more...

San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program presents a special summer concert at Herbst Theatre. Director Ray Rallo and Conductor Mark Morash will lead members of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a mixed production featuring works by Wagner, Gluck, Menotti, Rossini and Puccini, including scenes from Der fliegende Holländer, Orfeo ed Euridice, The Medium, L'Italiana in Algeri and La Bohème. Learn more...

Litquake presents Lewis Black in conversation. One of America's most popular stand-up comedians, Black is also a regular correspondent on TV's Daily Show and the author of the best-selling Me of Little Faith. He'll discuss the book, and offer his trademark opinions on current events, alongside acclaimed stand-up comic and former Air America Radio host Marc Maron. Learn more...

Geraldine Walther was Principal Violist of the San Francisco Symphony for 29 years. Now a member of the renowned Takács Quartet, she returns to the Bay Area for a concert at the Herbst Theatre. Accompanied by some of her closest friends, she'll perform chamber music by Bach, Mozart and Brahms. Learn more...

Multiple Grammy Award-winning cellist Lynn Harrell presents a chamber music concert at the Herbst Theatre, He'll be joined by some of his favorite fellow musicians in works by Beethoven, Brahms, and Kodaly. Learn more...

New chamber music ensemble Earplay continues its 24th season with a program featuring works by composers born outside of the U.S. Exotic and lyrical with colorful instrumentation, Lyric Kaleidoscopes features the world premiere of a newly-commissioned work by Bay Area composer Linda Bouchard, and a tribute to the ongoing legacy of influential modern composer Olivier Messiaen. Learn more...

The The New Century Chamber Orchestra presents their season-ending program, Shadows and Light. Led by renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the ensemble will play works ranging from the world premiere of Clarice Assad's Dreamscape to Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and suites from Strauss' Die Fledermaus and Herrmann's Psycho. Learn more...

Pianist Jon Nakamatsu performs a solo recital at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre. A Stanford graduate and Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, Nakamatsu has performed at venues accross the nation, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. His program includes Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Schumann's Papillons, and works by Liszt and Clementi. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances presents Sérgio and Odair Assad at the Herbst Theatre. The Grammy-winning duo of brothers from Brazil are renowned for their seamless collaboration and impeccable guitar technique, performing Baroque, classical and Romantic masterworks, as well as original pieces. They've collaborated with such renowned artists as Yo-Yo Ma and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Learn more...

The Herbst Theatre hosts a recital by Nelson Freire. He's spent half a century as one of the world's leading concert pianists; he regularly appears with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and recently performed with the London Philharmonic. Learn more...

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra performs Handel's three-act oratorio Athalia at Herbst Theatre. Based on the story of the Biblical queen Athaliah, the work features a highly dramatic story and stirring music performed by the orchestra, joined by internationally acclaimed vocal soloists and the Philharmonia Chorale. Learn more...

Vibrant and versatile mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe joins members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for a concert of works by American composers. The evening's program is highlighted by the Bay Area premiere of Alan Smith's Vignettes: Covered Wagon Woman, based on the journals of 19th century pioneer Margaret Frink. Also scheduled: works by Gershwin, Antes, and Beach. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances presents Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená in recital. The 2004 Gramophone Awards Artist of the Year is known for her intensely emotional performance style. Accompanied by pianist Karel Kosarek, she'll sing works by Duparc, Schumann, Debussy, and Berg. Learn more...

The Emerson String Quartet performs at San Franncisco's Herbst Theatre. For over thirty years, the New York ensemble has been one of the world's leading quartets; they've won eight Grammy Awards, and sold out concert halls all over the world. Their program tonight includes works by Beethoven, Mozart, Webern, and Ravel. Learn more...

Humanities West presents a two-day educational program dedicated to European cultural history during Napoleon's rule of France. A series of lectures, discussions, and musical performances will focus on Napoleon the person, as well as the impact and legacy of his rule on the visual arts, law, and culture. See full listing for details of individual events. Learn more...

Set in Victorian-era London, Noël Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet returns to the San Francisco stage for the first time in over 50 years in this new concert version from Lamplighters Music Theatre. This rare classic centers on an opera singer who experiences both the sweetness of true love and the bitter sadness of tragedy. Learn more...

The Bay Area's own Cypress String Quartet celebrates the tenth anniversary of its renowned concert series with a piece commissioned from accomplished American composer Kevin Puts. His Lento Assai musically responds to the masterworks of Felix Mendelssohn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Learn more...

Veteran chamber music group The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio performs at the War Memorial Building. For over 30 years, the three internationally-acclaimed soloists (on piano, violin, and cello) have continued to perform together as an ensemble at many of the world's major concert halls. Learn more...

Violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock leads the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in Winds and Waves, a concert celebrating the woodwinds of the high Baroque era: recorders, flutes, oboes, bassoons, and trumpets. The program features Telemann's Water Music, plus works by such Baroque masters as Bach, Vivaldi, Rameau, and more. Learn more...

Known for his pure yet warm sound and impossibly high vocal range, the renowned David Daniels is the first countertenor to give a solo recital in the main auditorium of Carnegie Hall. At Herbst Theatre, Daniels and acclaimed baroque chamber orchestra The English Concert perform music by Bach and Handel. Learn more...

Israeli chamber music ensemble the Aviv String Quartet visits the War Memorial's Herbst Theatre for a classical music program. The four young musicians studied in Cologne under the famed Alban Berg Quartet, and have drawn acclaim for their performances on some of the world's biggest stages. They will perform pieces by Beethoven and Schubert. Learn more...

The Prazak Quartet -- one of today´s leading international chamber music ensembles -- was established in 1972 while its members were students at the Prague Conservatory. Since then, the quartet has gained attention for its place in the unique Czech quartet tradition, and its musical virtuosity. They have performed at many top venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Learn more...

The engaging and energetic Katona Twins have garnered accolades and acclaim for their performances the world over, stretching from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Festival Hall in London, to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Graduates of the Royal Academy of Music in London, they were championed there by guitar greats Julian Bream and John Williams before establishing their duo guitar career. Learn more...

Kerry Records celebrates St. Patrick's Day at Herbst Theatre with a St. Patrick's Day Hooley, featuring Celtic fiddler Kathleen Keane and a team of superb Irish artists. It will be an evening of delightful Irish music, song, dance and irresistible merriment from the Emerald Isle. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances welcomes The Bad Plus. The trio combines the precision and fearless improvisation of jazz with the force and immediacy of a rock band. They play original songs, as well as versions of tunes by bands ranging from Black Sabbath and Rush to Blondie and ABBA. They'll be joined by guest vocalist Wendy Lewis. Learn more...

Acclaimed pianist Anne-Marie McDermott joins Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra for a concert of fiery Russian masterpieces at the Herbst Theatre. On the program will be pieces by Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances presents the Hilliard Ensemble at the Herbst Theatre. For over three decades, the group has been among the world's leading all-male vocal ensembles; in this concert, Love Among the Ruins, they'll perform songs of the joys and sorrows of romance, ranging from the medieval era to jazz. Learn more...

Celebrate love in all its hilarious glory with How We First Met. This enchanting, one-of-a-kind comedy returns to Herbst Theatre for Valentine's Day. Whether married for decades or newly dating, straight or gay, How We First Met looks at the lighter side of finding that special someone. Learn more...

At 20, this dynamic violinist is the soloist of choice of conductors including Leonard Slatkin and composer John Adams. She became well known to film audiences when, at age ten, she played the young violinist in Ralph Fiennes' cinematic adaptation of Pushkin's classic Evgeny Onegin. An avid advocate of new music, she has performed premieres of music by John Tavener and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Learn more...

Multiple Grammy-nominated composer-pianist Fred Hersch is celebrated for his ability to reinvent classic jazz, investing the time-tested with insight and intelligence while creating his own body of new work. Hersch has created more than two dozen recordings that challenge and affirm the present and future of the genre. Learn more...

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents an all-Mendelssohn concert, celebrating the great composer's 200th birthday. The program features such classic Mendelssohn works as A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave), played on period instruments. The San Francisco Girls Chorus, celebrating their 30th anniversary, will make a guest appearance. Learn more...

Sandra Bernhard presents Without You I'm Nothing, a brand-new version of the show that launched her career 20 years ago. An electrifying fusion of satire, cabaret and sizzling rock 'n' roll, Sandra's comic diatribe on the state of modern culture is backed by her band, The Rebellious Jezebels. Learn more...

Mitzi Gaynor, a triple-threat talent, is one of the top singing and dancing motion picture stars of all time, with 9 spectacular television shows and 17 Emmy nominations to her credit. Now the legend is back in a new one woman show. Learn more...

San Francisco's Herbst Theatre welcomes the Irish Tenors. The trio of Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns, and Karl Scully put their unique stamp on traditional Irish folk tunes, pop standards, and more. In this holiday concert, they'll perform with a 35-piece orchestra. Learn more...

Under the baton of Music Director Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the New Century Chamber Orchestra celebrates the holidays with a themed concert program featuring traditional seasonal favorites, performed at the Herbst Theatre. Learn more...

Conductor Rinaldo Alessandrini leads the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in a program of Italian classical works, including pieces by Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Corelli, Handel and more. The orchestra will be joined by Spanish soprano Marta Almajano. Learn more...

25-year-old Alisa Weilerstein has been performing professionally since the age of four. The daughter of two musicians, her interpretive gifts are second to none; she's performed with orchestras nationwide. Highly regarded soloist and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two artist Inon Barnatan makes his San Francisco debut alongside Weilerstein, as they play Beethoven, Chopin, Kodaly, and Golijov. Learn more...

The Brazilian/Paraguayan duo of Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Berta Rojas pairs two sensitive and versatile guitar artists. With more than 35 recordings to his credit, Barbosa-Lima has been a leading performer and arranger for four decades. Deftly moving between classical and other genres, Berta Rojas is an elegant interpreter of the guitar and was featured artist of the 2004 International First Ladies Summit. Learn more...

Grammy Award-winning family songwriter Dan Zanes comes to the Herbst Theatre for Holiday House Party. Known for his eclectic, folk-influenced music, Zanes has gained fame as an artist who appeals equally to children and their parents. In this special holiday show, he's joined by a remarkable array of artists from many different lands. Learn more...

Renowned Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen will perform an inspired program of works by rarely heard South American composers, along with Bach and Chopin, at Herbst Theatre. Local audiences first heard Cohen's astonishing technique when San Francisco Performances presented his area debut in November 2001. The pianist returned in January 2004, and received an equally enthusiastic response. Learn more...