The 2022-23 season of the Harker Concert Series closed with one of the most unique performances in its history on Friday night, as the Twin Cities, Minn.-based Cantus delivered a diverse and creatively arranged collection of songs based on the theme of “Alone Together Again.” The evening’s collection of songs reflected the thoughts and feelings the group had gathered during their time performing to empty theaters (with online audiences) during the COVID-19 pandemic, often projecting airs of both loneliness and togetherness.
Concert opener “Deep Blue,” by Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire, was a suitably dour arrangement, its dark harmonies carrying lyrics that matched many a mood in the spring of 2020: “We watched the end of the century / Compressed on a tiny screen / A dead star collapsing and we could see / That something was ending.”
“Deep Blue” closed with words imploring listeners to “put the cellphone down for a while,” which provided the perfect segue into Ingrid Michaelson’s “Twitter Song,” a light-hearted lampoon of the social media platform’s excruciatingly fast-paced and nuance-free user experience, the singers transfixed by their smartphones.
Things got much brighter later in the set, notably after the intermission, when the group launched into Ysaye Barnwell’s “Tango with God,” throwing in some very light percussion to further sell the mood. Their heartfelt rendition of Jean Sibelius’ famous tone poem “Finlandia,” with lyrics by Lloyd Stone, also fit neatly into the evening’s more hopeful fare, it being the performance that earned them viral fame in the summer of 2020.
Spirits were further lifted toward the end of the show as the singers performed the Limeliters’ folk jaunt “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight,” no doubt referencing the country’s slow but sure reintegration to in-person life. With the sunlight streaming in during “Yonder Come Day,” their show closer, it at least felt as though the world they envisioned could be realized. All the more reason to make John Lennon’s “Imagine” their encore.
Saxophonist Donny McCaslin left the Patil Theater audience in awe Friday night at the second installment of the 2022-23 Harker Concert Series season. Backed by bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jonathan Blake, the acclaimed soloist and composer’s setlist consisted entirely of original songs, starting with the appropriately named “Fast Brazil,” an up-tempo number inspired by the rhythm of Brazil’s baião rhythm. He made his virtuosity apparent almost immediately with stunning chromatic runs, but made sure not to chew too much of the scenery by allowing Blake plenty of time for a rhythmically precise and musical drum solo.
Other highlights included “Page One,” an homage to saxophonist Joe Henderson, which featured an urgent, driving bassline and beautiful cymbal work, and “I Hear a Rhapsody,” which opened with an exhilarating McCaslin solo into a strolling rhythm that became increasingly frantic before ending with McCaslin and Blake trading solos.
The ensemble received a well-deserved standing ovation after “Fat Cat,” the breezy, extended closing number that featured stunning solos from every member. Shortly after, McCaslin met with concertgoers in the lobby for photos and autographs.
The first concert of the 2022-23 season of the Harker Concert Series featured the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, a local institution for more than 30 years. Founder and conductor Barbara Day Turner made special mention of her previous collaboration with Jaco Wong, the upper school instrumental music director, who composed for SJCO while studying at San Jose State University.
SJCO’s repertoire for the evening included faithful performances of well-known favorites including Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” and the middle movement of Elgar’s “Serenade for Strings.” Showcasing its mastery over a diverse repertoire, the orchestra also performed composer Leroy Anderson’s light-hearted “Plink, Plank, Plunk!” and, as a special surprise, Jaco Wong’s own “Whampoa Overture,” a colorful composition inspired by Wong’s childhood memories of Hong Kong.
Following the intermission, SJCO delivered Ahmed Alabaca’s mournful yet hopeful “Across the Calm Waters of Heaven,” a response to the 2015 mass shooting in Alabaca’s hometown of San Bernardino. The orchestra concluded with a rousing rendition of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla’s “Libertango,” eliciting an extended ovation from the appreciative audience.
The artist lineup for the 2022-23 season of the Harker Concert Series, featuring the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, saxophonist Donny McCaslin and the vocal group Cantus, has just been announced.
For more than 30 years, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra (SJCO), opening the season on Sept. 30, has developed a reputation for presenting exciting music that reflects the diversity and eclecticism of the South Bay. Founded in 1991 by music director Barbara Day Turner, the ensemble has established itself as both world-class performers of works by noted composers (including Hyo-shin Na, Clarice Assad and Joel Friedman) and a place where young up-and-coming artists are given the opportunity to collaborate with established performers and composers. Under Turner’s direction, SJCO has premiered more than 200 works, including six American operas. It is also a frequent collaborator with local organizations including sjDANCEco and The Choral Project, and more recently the group commissioned 11 new works for RESPONSEWORKS, a project featuring composers’ musical interpretations of the many turbulent events of 2020.
Known to the wider music world for his performance on art-pop icon David Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar,” saxophonist Donny McCaslin, appearing Nov. 4, is a Grammy-nominated composer and bandleader who has released more than a dozen albums of original music. Born in Santa Cruz, McCaslin first found music at age 12 and performed with this father, a vibraphonist, in his teens, making multiple appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival by the time he had reached high school. He moved to New York City after attending Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. While performing as a soloist for the Mara Schneider Orchestra, he was noticed by Bowie, who hired McCaslin’s quartet to help realize Bowie’s vision for “Blackstar.” McCaslin’s subsequent album, “Blow,” showcased the influence of his collaboration with Bowie, bringing together elements of jazz and alternative rock.
The Twin Cities-based vocal ensemble Cantus, which performs Feb. 3, has received acclaim from across the world for its ability to perform an impressively wide range of music — be it from the Renaissance or the 21st century — at the highest levels. The group has distinguished itself with an approach to learning and creating music that is akin to a group of chamber musicians, working without a conductor and involving every member of the group in the creative process. This system has served the group well, earning it praise from the New Yorker for its “engaging” performances, and from the Washington Post for its “exalting finesse” and “expressive power.” In addition to being world-class performers, the members of Cantus also bring their experience and expertise to more than 5,000 students every year through master classes and workshops, as well as an award-winning high school residency program.
Tickets for each of these concerts will be available through the Harker Concert Series website for $25. All will take place at the Rothschild Performing Arts center, located at Harker’s upper school campus at 500 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose. Prior to the 7 p.m. start time, each concert will be preceded by a 6 p.m. reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages as well as a cash bar for beer and wine
Daedalus Quartet displayed adventurous spirit and instrumental mastery at Friday night’s Harker Concert Series season closer. The group opened with “Lyric Quartet” by Harlem Renaissance composer William Grant Still, composed as a tribute to his friend, violinist Joachim Chassman. The pastoral warmth of the first movement, “The Sentimental One,” gave way to the contemplative melodies of “The Quiet One” before ramping up the tempo and playfulness for the final movement, “The Jovial One.”
Daedalus cellist Thomas Kraines then invited composer Laurie San Martin up to the stage to talk briefly about the next piece, “Six Cuts,” which she workshopped with the quartet personally. Consisting largely of unconventional and harsh sounds, “Six Cuts” at times resembled the noises of everyday life, rendered by the quartet’s instruments in sharp detail.
Following the intermission, Daedalus returned with slightly more conventional fare, including Amy Beach’s “Quartet for Strings,” and ended with Mendelssohn’s “Quartet in F minor,” whose galloping final movement was a fitting show for the quartet’s mastery.
One of the most enthusiastic crowds in Harker Concert Series history greeted drummer Jared Schonig and his quintet Friday night, kicking off the first in-person live HCS event in almost two years. The last time the Patil Theater hosted a live Harker Concert Series performance was in February of last year, when The Kronos Quartet played to a packed house.
Remarkably, Schonig and his assembled band of incredible players – saxophonist Patrick Bartley, bassist Matt Clohesy, trumpeter Michael Olmos and pianist Gary Versace – were performing as a group for the first time, though Schonig had worked with each of them individually for years. The group performed eight of Schonig’s original songs, none of which failed to impress. Naturally, Schonig began the show with a drum solo highlighting both his technique and musicality. For the remainder of the set, he was more than content to take the reins at the rhythm section while his bandmates skillfully interpreted his excellent compositions and traded solos.
The highlights were many, ranging from the alternating funk and swing of show opener “Sabotage” to the contemplative “Tig Mack” – a showcase for Versace’s crystalline piano lines – to the steady drive of “Climb,” which displayed Bartley and Olmos’ effortless virtuosity. The band closed with “White Out,” a rhythmically dizzying show of musicianship that could have easily gone off the rails were it not for the expertise and confidence of the people at the controls.
An ever-thankful Schonig, grateful for the opportunity to perform live (“It’s a wonderful thing to get to do it for people again,” he said), stuck around after the standing ovation to chat with concertgoers and sign copies of his double album, “Two Takes.”
Live music is returning to Harker, as the 2021-22 season of the Harker Concert Series kicks off Nov. 5 with an appearance by Grammy-award winning drummer Jared Schonig, who has recorded and performed with instrumentalists including Nicholas Payton, Lonnie Smith, Donny McCaslin, Miho Hazama and Ernie Watts, as well as vocalists including Broadway legend Kristen Chenoweth, Emmy and Tony award winner Cynthia Erivo and Welsh singer-songwriter Donna Lewis. He has also released five albums as co-leader of The Wee Trio, garnering praise from respected publications such as Downbeat and All About Jazz.
The Emerald Brass Quintet, made up of graduates of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., will perform Feb. 4. Since forming in 2006, EBQ has performed with highly respected ensembles including Canadian Brass and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. They also have been featured guests at the Gualala Arts Center Concert Series and have appeared on WXXI 91.5’s “Backstage Pass,” as well as the 2009 Brass in Frankenwald festival in Hof, Germany. Their first album, “Danzón,” was released in November 2020. Individually, EBQ members have performed at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room and with orchestras all over the country.
The final act of the season will be the Daedalus Quartet, which has been collecting accolades around the world for 20 years. Winners of the 2001 Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Daedalus Quartet have performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Vienna’s Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and many more prestigious venues throughout the world. The New Yorker called them “a fresh and vital young participant in what is a golden age of American string quartets,” and The New York Times has praised their interpretations of Haydn, Beethoven, Berg and Dutilleux.
Admission to each Harker Concert Series event will be $25, and concerts will be held at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center at the upper school campus. A 6 p.m. reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be held before every concert, which will start at 7 p.m. in the Patil Theater.
For the safety of Harker’s guests, ticket sales and seating will be adjusted to comply with any event capacity and/or social distancing protocols in place at the time of ticket sales. Receptions at each event will be held outdoors. Face coverings are expected to be required while attendees are indoors. Attendees will be informed of any updates to face covering requirements.
Jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti appeared via Zoom Friday night for the third event of the 2021 Virtual Harker Concert Series. Speaking with longtime friend Dave Hart, Harker’s upper school instrumental music chair and artistic director of the Harker concert series, Eigsti got attendees caught up on his recent activities, showing off the setup he had put together for online lessons. “I spent my entire life not doing online lessons,” he said. “It was something that I was pretty staunch about.”
With in-person lessons now infeasible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eigsti spent considerable time preparing for online lessons, and expressed amusement at his newfound obsession with cameras and live sound. During one of the very few live gigs he played in the past year, he found himself chatting with the sound crew. “I’m picking the brains of the sound engineers,” he said. “It really is a deep dive into all of the other things since we have to do all of this stuff ourselves now.”
Discussing life as a member pf legendary trumpeter Chris Botti’s band, Eigsti stressed the importance of making time for oneself. “If you’re doing 270 gigs a year in one band, it’s hard to do anything else. You’ve got to balance it out with some white space,” he said.
As a bandleader himself, Eigsti learned a great deal from how Botti led his ensembles. “He just has a real structure to the show. It’s like a well-oiled machine,” he said, drawing a distinction between Botti and the way he had been accustomed to performing different music every night.
Eigsti’s next album, titled “Tree Falls,” is scheduled for release on May 21 through GSI Records. The first single, a cover of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer’s “Skylark,” features former “American Idol” contestant Casey Abrams. “This is the project I’m the most proud of in my whole life,” Eigsti said. “I haven’t released an album in 11 years, so it’s wild to release an album now.”
His other major project is a collaboration with the Community School of Music and Arts called “Imagine Our Future,” in which he has been commissioned to write a piece based on ideas sent to him by Bay Area students. “When I’m composing I really like to take a lot of ideas that could really come from anywhere,” he said. “This is definitely a little bit more of a challenge than I thought it would be. It’s really interesting to see how it’s naturally coming together.”
Answering a question about compositions played by his band, Eigsti noted “it’s different every time. Sometimes we’ll do a show and everyone in the band might have some tune that’s written by them.
“I tend to like to play the music of my friends and also my own music and different songs that people know that could be covers or jazz standards,” he added.
On the process of composing, Eigsti said he believes “only 10 percent of what we write is actually good, so you might as well just keep writing.” He also encouraged exploring many sources for inspiration and experimenting with ideas. “Try things out in different keys,” he said. “Sometimes we think of ideas where their home is somewhere else.”
On Friday night, Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist Laila Biali was the second guest of Harker’s Virtual Concert Series, which features a rebroadcast of a past Harker concert followed by a live chat with the artist. She spoke and answered questions about her career and songwriting process.
Speaking via Zoom from her home in Toronto, the Juno-winning Biali answered questions posed by Dave Hart, upper school instrumental music chair, as well as viewers. She recalled how she found an interest in music at a very early age, starting piano at just 3 and half years old and having aspirations of attending Juilliard or the Curtis Institute of Music by her teens. At 15, she suffered an injury in a car accident that severely limited the use of her right arm. During her recovery, she began learning jazz, which she described as “like learning a new language.”
Her career as a singer began while performing at a jazz festival, where she was offered a scholarship to Toronto’s Humber College and found singing and songwriting as new modes of expression. Later, while touring with a group called Sisters of Jazz, Biali was invited to join trumpeter Chris Botti’s band, which eventually led to her moving to New York. There she found work with Paula Cole (during which she met her husband, Ben Wittman) and Sting, a gig that saw her travel to the English singer’s estate in Tuscany. “Sting is your quintessential rock star,” said Biali. “He could totally be what we call a devo, the male version of a diva. He could just waltz into rehearsal whenever he wanted.” Biali was also inspired by Sting’s discipline and work ethic: “He was the first to arrive and the last to leave, without fail.”
Discussing her approach to songwriting, Biali described the process as seldom constant. “It’s changing all the time and in some ways, it’s really informal,” she said. “There’s a point where it becomes a discipline and I have to sit down and hone the idea.”
Biali finds “raw material for songs all around me,” she said. Sources include news stories and various sights and sounds of the cities she’s lived in or visited. She often leaves voice memos on her phone.
One of her favorite activities is heading to the Banff Centre in Alberta to complete songs she has begun writing, because of its environment and access to resources. “For each of the past three records, that has been an integral part of finishing the songs,” she said. She also runs ideas by her husband, who she said “felt like an ally and a friend right away” upon meeting him when they both worked for Paula Cole.
The video of Biali’s performance at the Patil Theater in September 2019 will be available to view until Mon. Dec. 21. Her latest solo album, “Out of Dust,” and her rendition of “Silent Night” are now available on Spotify, iTunes and other services.
Staying true to its adventurous spirit, the renowned Kronos Quartet filled the packed Patil Theater with sounds from the recesses of the imagination during Friday night’s Harker Concert Series 2020 season closer. The evening’s repertoire consisted of pieces that either had been written or arranged for the group by composers hailing from such countries as Egypt, Mali, Mexico and Turkey. No strangers to experimentation, the musicians came prepared with plenty of twists and turns, pleasantly surprising concertgoers with pivots such as replacing their bows with noisemakers during Nicole Lizée’s “Another Living Soul” and utilizing the distinct “whoosh” produced by whipping their bows through the air on Garth Knox’s “Satellites: III. Dimensions.”
Other highlights included a haunting rendition of John Coltrane’s “Alabama,” written in response to the horrific 16th Street Baptist Church bombing carried out in 1963 by the Ku Klux Clan, and a joyous performance of “Tegere Tulon: I. Funtukuru” by Malian composer Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, with the rhythm provided by audience clapping.