Goldstar

Virtuoso Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger returns to San Francisco Performances in recital with British percussionist Colin Currie in one of the most provocative pairings of the music season. The duo's program features contemporary works by Daniel Börtz, Per Norgard, Dave Maric, Toru Takemitsu and others. Learn more...

African superstar Toumani Diabate's "effortless and at times unbelievably rapid-fire kora work" (Guardian, UK) is given a thrilling showcase with his high-powered orchestra that combines traditional West African sounds with pop, Afro-Cuban music and more. Learn more...

One of the world's most sought-after vocalists, English tenor Ian Bostridge, performs a program of Schubert songs, with Julius Drake at the piano. Bostridge is a regular guest at Covent Garden, English National Opera and the Bavarian State Opera, and has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony, New York Philharmonic and more. Learn more...

Nancy Wilson's musical style is so diverse that it is hard to classify. Over the years her repertoire has included pop style ballads, jazz and blues, show tunes and well known standards. One thing is certain: her work is revered by connoisseurs of modern singing. See this consummate entertainer in a rare concert appearance at the Herbst Theatre. Learn more...

Chamber Music San Francisco presents their annual Classical Christmas Special. The show features guests from the San Francisco Symphony and S.F. Opera; a new ballet based on O. henry's Gift of the Magi, choreographed by LINES Ballet's Arturo Fernandez, featuring dancer Maurya Kerr, and narrated by Mayor Willie Brown; 10-year-old cellist Clark Pang; and more fun for the whole family! Learn more...

The Kinsey Sicks, America's favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, turn their considerable talents to the global effort to stamp out holiday cheer. Oy Vey combines the Kinsey Sicks' award-winning a cappella singing, biting wit and over-the-top drag, with songs like "I'm Dreaming of a Vanna White Christmas," "God Bless Ye Femmy Lesbians" and the soon-to-be classic of Christmas cuisine, "Soylent Night." Learn more...

Music Director Jeffrey Thomas leads the American Bach Soloists, American Bach Choir and four world-class soloists in Handel's most beloved oratorio, Messiah--a Bay Area holiday tradition for more than fifteen years. Experience the unforgettable melodies, bounding rhythms and deft word-painting of Handel's theater-fueled imagination. Learn more...

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra's holiday concert explores the fertile but still relatively unknown landscape of 17th-century German sacred music. The program brings together three composers: Heinrich Schuetz, Johann Rosenmueller and Johann Kuhnau. Learn more...

Celebrate Hanukkah with a performance by one of Israel's greatest musicians, singer-songwriter Chava Alberstein. Over her 40-year career, she's recorded over fifty albums, many of which have gone platinum. She'll be performing her beloved hits in this concert. Learn more...

The Herbst Theatre welcomes Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes. One of the premier vocal groups in the history of pop music, they're legendary for their "wall of sound" technique. Join them for a Christmas celebration featuring all your favorite holiday tunes, as well as classic hits like "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You". Learn more...

Celebrated actress, singer and dancer Debbie Reynolds takes that stage at Herbst Theatre for an evening of laughter, song and dance. Debbie skyrocketed to fame after her memorable appearance with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Conner in Singin' in the rain, and went on to star in many other works on film, television and stage, including a recent Emmy-nominated performance on Will & Grace. Learn more...

"Help Is on the Way for the Holidays IX" is a star-studded AIDS benefit concert featuring stars from stage, screen and the recording industry as well as top Bay Area talent. Enjoy performances from Sally Struthers, Carole Cook, cabaret star Sharon McNight, "American Idol" star Justin Guarini and many more; see event description for current lineup. Learn more...

After more than two decades since she starred as Effie in the hit Broadway musical Dreamgirls, Jennifer Holliday remains a vocal powerhouse whose passionate, throaty and soulful voice touches hearts and leaves her audience flooded with emotions and their spirits soaring high. Holliday has won two Tony Awards and two Grammy Awards. Learn more...

World-famous Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito performs in concert at Herbst Theatre, accompanied by his international band of vibrant musicians. Featuring performances of original musical compositions in Italian, Neapolitan, Spanish and English as well as some classic standards arranged in his own distinctive pop-opera style. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances is proud to welcome Emmanuel Pahud, the principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic. He assumed this role at the virtually unheard-of age of 23 after winning prizes in Geneva, Kobe, and Duino, and is now acknowledged as one of the world's greatest flautists. He'll be playing sonatas and suites by composers including Brahms and Strauss. Learn more...

Led by conductor Nicholas McGegan, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra performs a concert of works by Rameau, Telemann, Vivaldi, and J. S. Bach. Guest artists includes Marion Verbruggen, recorder, Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin, and Stephen Schultz, flute. Learn more...

As part of the 25th Anniversary San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ presents the Kronos Quartet. One of the most celebrated musical ensembles of our time, their commitment to new music is legendary. They team up with Wilco's Glenn Kotche to present the premiere of Kotche's new composition, "Anomaly". Also featured: works by Thelonious Monk, Tom Verlaine, and more. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances presents master guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita, who will perform solo works, as well as a guitar quartet with his children. On the program are Yamashita's arrangements of "The Song of Compostela" (composer unknown) and the Largo from Dvorak's "The New World Symphony"; two pieces by young Japanese composer Keiko Fujiie -- "Little Girls' Beautiful Lives, Opus 79, for two guitars" and "Kasane," Opus 84, for guitar quartet; and an excerpt from "Season Quartet" by Ganesh Del Vescovo. Learn more...

SFJAZZ presents a 25th Anniversary San Francisco Jazz Festival show, featuring the acknowledged master of the jazz harmonica, Toots Thielemans, in a program entitled Brazilian Moods. Thielemans, a native of Belgium, had a hit in 1962 with "Bluesette", played with Quincy Jones and Billy Joel, and been heard in such films as Breakfast at Tiffany's and Midnight Cowboy, but you may know him best from the closing theme to Sesame Street. Learn more...

The 4th Annual George Bush Going Away Party is a comedy show featuring political humor by Andy Kindler (Everybody Loves Raymond, frequent Letterman guest), Elender Wall and Bryant Kong (performing "The Poetry of Donald Rumsfeld" on voice and piano), plus Aundre the Wonderwoman, Tissa Hami, and Lisa Geduldig. Learn more...

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents King of the Concerto, a program featuring the works of Antonio Vivaldi. The great Italian composer wrote more than 400 concertos, and guest violinist Monica Huggett, along with members of the orchestra, will play six of them. Learn more...

The Herbst Theatre welcomes Marcel Khalife, one of Lebanon's foremost musicians and a master of the oud, a Middle Eastern stringed instrument resembling a lute. His music combines influences from the Middle East and Europe, frequently incorporating piano and other Western instruments. Learn more...

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, guest concertmaster, joins the New Century Chamber Orchestra at the Herbst Theatre for a program featuring Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and more. Salerno-Sonnenberg is celebrated as one of the most original and fearless artists on the concert stage today, while the Grammy-nominated New Century Chamber Orchestra is San Francisco's premiere conductorless ensemble. Learn more...

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents Mozart's serenata Il Re Pastore (The Shepherd King), featuring members of the original cast from the highly-reviewed performance in New York's Mostly Mozart Festival in 2003. Written when Mozart was only 19, this is a true love story that suggests a great king may be found even in the simplest shepherd. Learn more...

Grammy-nominated comedienne Judy Tenuta, the "Goddess of Comedy", and Alec Mapa, "America's Gaysian Sweetheart", perform at the Herbst Theatre. The accordion-wielding Tenuta has had her own specials on HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime, while Mapa recently appeared at the 18th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Proceeds benefit the Native American AIDS Project. Learn more...

Costa Rica's Jorge Strunz and Iran's Ardeshir Farah have been playing together for over two decades, and their style of acoustic fusion jazz is truly unique and remarkable. They're performing at the Herbst theater as part of a benefit to raise funds for youth jazz in San Francisco. Learn more...

NBC's "America's Got Talent" semi-finalist Shawn Ryan returns to San Francisco for a concert featuring the 14-piece Kelly Park Orchestra, seven dancers and three backup singers in an evening of hijinx, humor and entertainment! The concert also features special material written by Academy Award show comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, who will make a guest appearance. Learn more...

Today's tap stars from Broadway, film and the concert stage perform at Stepology's annual Bay Area tap festival. This year's lineup features Channing Cook-Holmes (Riverdance, Bojangles), Stepology Director John Kloss (Tap Heat), Deborah Mitchell (The Cotton Club), Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards (Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk) and more. This event was listed in the SF Chronicle's Top Ten Dance Performances of 2005 and 2006. Learn more...

San Francisco's premier conductorless ensemble, the Grammy-nominated New Century Chamber Orchestra relies on the virtuosic skill of each individual--instead of a baton--to achieve its improvisatory sound with power, color and precision. For their concert at the Herbst Theatre, the program will include works from Mozart, Elgar and Chin. Learn more...

The Herbst Theatre presents Flights of Fancy, a unique evening of Indian music, featuring the melodic medley of the violins of maestros Ganesh and Kumaresh, and the captivating rhythm of the tabla of Ustad Zakir Hussain. Learn more...

The San Francisco Chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, presents the 17th-annual Design Lecture Series, one of the oldest and most important lecture series dedicated to the convergence of technology, art and design. Karim Rashid is a leading figure in the fields of product, interior design, fashion, furniture, lighting and art. Learn more...

Internationally-renowned tenor Vladimir Kuzmenko performs at the Herbst Theatre in recital, accompanied by pianist Svetlana Gorshevskaya. Kuzmenko will be performing a variety of opera and lieder selections, including works from Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and more. Learn more...

Luenell from Borat, plus Marga Gomez, Sherry Glaser, Lisa Geduldig and more deliver the goods when Kung Pao Kosher Comedy presents The 9th Annual Funny Girlz: A Smorgasbord of Women Comedians. This all-star line-up of female comics will donate partial proceeds to benefit GirlVentures. Learn more...

When Davy Rothbart began putting together a little Xeroxed magazine called Found, a collection of items--love letters, birthday cards, to-do lists, tickets stubs, poetry on bar napkins, doodles, etc--he had no idea what kind of chord he was about to strike. Within a year, he was profiled in the New Yorker, The Chicago Tribune, and everything from USA Today to Penthouse. When Fireside Books released FOUND in 2004, it quickly became a national bestseller, featured on Letterman. Learn more...

Steven Isserlis, one of today's most accessible and exciting cellists, performs a unique all-Russian program, accompanied by Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein. The concert includes Anton Rubinstein's rarely heard "Cello Sonata No. 1 in D Major" and Alexander Glazunov's "Two Pieces, Op. 20," as well as the only sonatas Shostakovich and Prokofiev wrote for the cello. Learn more...

For all his successes on the grand opera and concert stages of the world, Christopher Maltman has a flair for intimate recitals, which bring to light his sophistication and dramatic approach. The accomplished baritone presents songs by two of history's strangest and most intriguing composers--Henri Duparc and Peter Warlock--as well as familiar works by Debussy, Schubert and Wolf. Learn more...

He may be Nat "King" Cole's brother, but the youngest Cole son has a refined, bluesy technique and a smoky voice all his own. Grammy-nominated pianist and singer Freddy Cole has handpicked the best of the jazz world to join him onstage: "Jazz's working class hero," (All About Jazz) tenor saxophonist Houston Person. A Bay Area favorite, the "consummate, inventive, endlessly entertaining" (San Francisco Chronicle) jazz chanteuse Eastman leads off the double bill. Learn more...

Ben Riley never missed a beat stepping into the drum chair of Thelonious Monk's Quartet in the mid '60s. Today his piano-less septet honors Monk's unique compositions. Taking their cue from Monk's distinctive left hand accompaniment, they're a harmonic treasure chest of half-formed chords, forward-leaning dissonances, and stately resolutions. Pianist Geri Allen pays tribute to the groundbreaking composer Mary Lou Williams, with a performance of Williams' masterpiece, "The Zodiac Suite." Learn more...

Comprised of three sopranos from Sweden and Norway, Trio Mediaeval have had multiple Billboard Top-10 recordings. Now, they bring their ethereal style to the Herbst Theatre, in a performance containing seven thirteenth-century songs and three modern pieces written specifically for the group. Learn more...

These young men from Sweden have made names for themselves as frequent soloists with the major orchestras of Europe. Fröst's programming is so adventurous that he has captured the attention of leading composers, fellow musicians, and the public through video, multi-media performances, and the interplay of chamber music with mime and visual art. Roland Pöntinen has made more than 70 recordings, both solo and ensemble, that brim with passion and technical brilliance. Learn more...

Following his recent debut with the Royal Philharmonic in London and sold-out performances in Paris, pianist Alexandros Kapelis makes his Bay Area debut with a piano recital inspired by Greece and Greek mythology, and featuring pieces by Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Clementi, Kalomiris, Rameau, and Konstantinidis. Learn more...

San Francisco Performances presents baritone Gerald Finley in his Bay Area recital debut. Finley rocketed to the attention of San Francisco Opera audiences in 2005 when he created the role of Oppenheimer during the world-premiere of John Adams' Dr. Atomic. Equally at home with Mozart, Haydn, and Janáček, Finley's song recitals are no less thrilling than his dramatic roles. Learn more...

Named "#1 Rising Star Jazz Group" in 2006's DownBeat Critics' Poll, the Collective (featuring new trumpeter Dave Douglas) gives the San Francisco premiere of its 2007 repertoire, including original compositions and the timeless, provocative music of Thelonious Monk. Learn more...

This trio is one of the tightest ensembles around, yet each member has earned a place in the jazz pantheon in his own right. Roland Guerin, a composer, bandleader and inventor of a six-string bass guitar, dazzles audiences with his masterful slap bass technique. Jason Marsalis is yet another formidable talent from the New Orleans family that has re-shaped jazz. Marcus Roberts is a pianist who "explodes and recombines history in the moment," says the New York Times, "offering something old and new together, making his art powerfully original and compelling." Learn more...

With a career spanning decades of music, film and theatre, Petula Clark has entertained millions with her charming style, powerful lyrics and sweet soulful voice. Her upcoming performance at the Herbst Theatre will be an evening of greatest hits ("Downtown," "Don't Sleep In The Subway," "I Know A Place"), Broadway (Sunset Boulevard, Blood Brothers) and standards, with the legendary Grammy Award winner accompanied by a full orchestra. Learn more...

The premiere of Roberto Sierra's song cycle Songs from the Diaspora highlights this program, which also includes Chausson's rarely performed Chansons Perpetuelles as well as music by Haydn and Shostakovich. The St. Lawrence String Quartet and guest soprano Heidi Grant-Murphy bring these works to life with sophistication and intelligence. Learn more...

A truly international voice in chamber music, Germany's Artemis Quartet combines the best of old-world ensemble tradition with a bold new tone. The Quartet's San Francisco Performances debut in 2005 was a tremendous critical success, prompting a quick request for a return engagement. In their upcoming performance at Herbst Theatre, they will be presenting works from Webern, Beethoven and Schoenberg. Learn more...

Over her four-decade career, Grammy-winning performer Dionne Warwick has become an international musical legend. Among her many hit songs are "You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)," "I Say A Little Prayer," "Reach Out For Me," "Are You There (With Another Girl)," "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?" and "That's What Friends Are For." Warwick engages audiences worldwide with her extensive repertoire and unique, warm sound. Learn more...

An elegant, extremely intelligent performer, Jennifer Koh has a formidable capacity for "living through" the music she performs, in the words of the New York Times. She will perform the Bay Area premiere of a new work by exciting and highly regarded American composer Jennifer Higdon, co-commissioned by San Francisco Performances. She will be joined by pianist Reiko Uchida. Learn more...