Music Features
Every week, our writers take an in‐depth look at an artist, program or topic of interest to us. Spend some time with this week's classical music feature, or scroll through the extensive SFCV archive for insights in many music topics.
Playlist
May 23, 2013
Richard Wagner, who turned 200 yesterday, wrote one of the great epic stories ever in his Ring of the Nibelung. This slim-and-trim version doesn’t take in the whole story, but it's a good primer.
More "Wagner Ring Mixtape" »Kids & Families Feature
May 23, 2013
Richard Wagner established German repertory of the world, creating a radical new way to tell stories in music. Learn more about one of the most inventive composers for orchestra on his 200th birthday.
More "Composer of the Week: Richard Wagner" »Kids & Families Feature
May 23, 2013
Winton Lee remembers what struck him about music on a car ride. Now, at 9-years-old, you can hear him how his inspiration plays out in a solo recital.
More "A Short Ride to a Classical Dream" »Kids & Families Feature
May 23, 2013
In a girl’s mind, school experiences in China are mixed with ideas from America, where she now lives. What choices will she make? What choices does she have?
More "An Examined Life, Colored by Music" »Feature Article
May 21, 2013
Small opera companies like Berkeley’s West Edge Opera, Walnut Creek’s Festival Opera, and Palo Alto’s West Bay Opera are finding ways to stay in business and to thrive artistically.
More "Survival Economics: Small Opera Companies Drive Change" »News Report
May 16, 2013
In a scene that will be repeated on a larger scale in San Francisco in October, the first of Lisa Bielawa’s "Airport Broadcasts" recently took place in Berlin. The participatory event united more than 200 instrumentalists of all kinds.
More "Berlin Diary: Community Music-Making on a Huge Scale" »Playlist
May 16, 2013
We had so many possibilities for last week’s three-minute mixtape, we had to create another playlist featuring classical music’s most famous dance tunes, all under three minutes (with one minor exception).
More "Three-Minute Mixtape, The Sequel: Dance Party" »
Season Preview
May 13, 2013
A few choice highlights from the wealth of summer concerts, events, and festivals to get things rolling this season.
More "People's Choice Summer Preview" »
