Chelsea Nicole Spangler

Chelsea Nicole Spangler is a graduate student in ethnomusicology at UC Berkeley. She earned her B.A. in vocal performance at Wartburg College, and spent the 2007-2008 academic year studying the Hardanger fiddle in Norway.

Articles by this Author

Volti: Age of Relevance - Preview
October 20, 2010

“Relevance.” This is the confident answer of Volti’s artistic director, Robert Geary, when asked what people will like about the choral ensemble’s upcoming program. The weekend of Nov. 5-7 will see Volti’s 32nd season open, with performances in Mill Valley, Oakland, and San Francisco.

PBO's Reason for the Season - Preview
November 9, 2009
The holiday sales are on, airlines are offering special home-for-the-holidays rates, and pop versions of holiday tunes have already hit the radio airwaves and are playing in malls. Many bemoan the commercialization of the holiday season, and long for a return to a remembered (or perhaps only imagined) past. Things were simpler then, the adage goes, and people still appreciated the reason for the season.
Canconier — Music of the Black Dragon - Preview
October 26, 2009

For classical music aficionados, the term early music generally brings to mind only works that they might hear in a Western concert hall. But Cançonièr adopts a much broader view for its upcoming concert (its debut as ensemble-in-residence at MusicSources), incorporating a Dufay motet, Turkish classical music, Italian and German dances, Balkan folk songs, and more. The unifying theme for the program is both unexpected and seasonally appropriate: “The Black Dragon: Music From the Time of Vlad Dracula.”

Virtue in Vespers - Review
October 10, 2009

In another concert series geared toward social justice, the ArtisVocal Ensemble presented an evening of “Kirkenabendmusik” at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley on Friday. The program of Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, and Mendelssohn aimed to invoke the solemnity of a Vespers liturgy in a 19th century Viennese church. 

Torn by Love at the Berkeley Opera - Preview
June 23, 2009

Since 1979, the Berkeley Opera has presented accessible, affordable productions in the East Bay. The second opera for its 2009 season, Douglas Moore’s Ballad of Baby Doe, will open on July 11. As always, the performances will be given in Berkeley’s beautiful Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Originally a church, the building was designed in 1908 by the famous architect, and later turned into a theater.

Vocal Colors of the Golden State - Review
June 1, 2009

The “California Fusion” program performed by the Artists’ Vocal Ensemble on Friday night brought music spanning several decades and continents to the audience at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley.

Voices Lifted, in Stereo - Review
March 30, 2009

The Tallis Scholars drew an audience large enough to pack the sanctuary of First Congregational Church in Berkeley on Saturday night, reinforcing their reputation as (in the words of a New York Times critic) "the rock stars of Renaissance choral music."

Choral Singing: Chicken Soup for the Soul - Article
March 10, 2009

What do an archaeologist, a lawyer, and a black belt in jujitsu have in common? They may sound like the beginning of a bad joke, but in reality they're a sampling of the Bay Area's choristers.

Classical Times Two: China and Western Music - Article
February 10, 2009

The New Year’s parade may be over, but San Francisco has not finished ringing in the year of the ox. On Sunday, the San Francisco Symphony continued the celebration with a Chinese New Year concert, followed by a reception with Chinese dancing, food, and other festivities. The program featured the acclaimed Chinese violinist Siqing Lu, as well as the Crystal Choir and Melody of China, an ensemble of traditional Chinese instruments.

A Norwegian Tour de Force - Review
November 18, 2008

I walked into Herbst Theatre on Sunday evening expecting the Scandinavian ensemble Trio Mediæval to instantly transport me from sunny San Francisco to twilit Norway, where winter has already begun. I was mystified by the collection of what appeared to be found objects onstage — these were not instruments I had ever seen in Norway.
As soon as percussionist Terje Isungset began to play, however, it became clear that these really were Norwegian instruments. A small plastic tube was made to sound like a seljefløyte, a traditional willow flute.