Artist Spotlight

These lively Q&A's aim to shed light on the personalities behind the music. Get to know your favorite artists...or discover someone new!

Artist Spotlight
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October 10, 2012
Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili: The Freedom of Imagination
BY Jeff Kaliss

Khatia Buniatishvili, sometimes compared with Martha Argerich, proudly represents her Georgian culture and has special feelings for Rachmaninov.

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Artist Spotlight
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October 5, 2012
Soprano Karina Gauvin: An Intimate Exchange
BY Jason Victor Serinus

The golden tones of Karina Gauvin will soon be heard in her beloved French song repertoire, this time in Green Music Center’s Weill Hall.

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Artist Spotlight
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September 29, 2012
Paul Dresher's Raw Funkiness
BY Niels Swinkels

Prior to the premiere of Paul Dresher's Concerto for Quadrachord and Orchestra at the Berkeley Symphony, the composer spoke with SFCV.

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Artist Spotlight
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September 26, 2012
Tenor Mark Padmore: Transporting Through Song
BY Jason Victor Serinus

In a Skype chat With SFCV, tenor Mark Padmore reflects on the arc of his career, his chosen repertoire, and the artistic importance of art song.

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Artist Spotlight
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September 24, 2012
Lang Lang: Brilliance by Day, Teacher by Right
BY Jeff Kaliss

As pianist Lang Lang hits the revered age of 30, he’s started to teach others hard-won lessons gleaned from his childhood studies in China.

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Artist Spotlight
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September 18, 2012
Saimir Pirgu: A Fourth Tenor Kind of Dream
BY Georgia Rowe

The hard-charging Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu, about to make his S.F. Opera debut, found his calling when he heard the Three Tenors on TV. Now he’s chasing their fame; next spring he plays “son” to Plácido Domingo.

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Artist Spotlight
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September 12, 2012
Joshua Bell Returns: Cue the Spotlight
BY Jeff Kaliss

Violinist Joshua Bell anticipates his performance at S.F. Symphony’s season opener.

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Artist Spotlight
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September 6, 2012
Semyon Bychkov: The Complete Conductor
BY Tom Jacobs

Semyon Bychkov reflects on his conducting goals, before he lifts his baton at the S.F. Symphony to perform Tchaikovsky, Bruch, and his fellow-St. Petersburg native Shostakovich.

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Artist Spotlight
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August 29, 2012
Klaus Heymann: Defy Labels, to Be the One
BY Niels Swinkels

Independent recording label Naxos has flourished in an age of downloading and streaming music. Its head, Klaus Heymann, reflects on his successes and on industry trends.

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Artist Spotlight
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August 27, 2012
Håkan Hagegård: Master in His Class
BY Georgia Rowe

Love for lieder and years of singing opera made baritone Håkan Hagegård an impassioned artist, who now conveys his insights to young artists around the globe.

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