In the world of maestros with titanic egos, Pocket Opera’s Donald Pippin is a heartwarming exception. He is self-effacing, even humble. To a fault. Considering his accomplishments, all that modesty seems downright excessive.
In recent years the prospect of music education in public schools has
dimmed considerably, but the present and future look even worse. Most
states are facing huge budget deficits, none worse than California, and
all aspects of education are endangered.
If you grew up in the 1990s you probably know Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who arrives this week to perform songs from his musical Whisper House with the San Francisco Symphony. His 1996 debut hit, Barely Breathing, about a stalled relationship, marries its catchy groove to an emotional honesty.
Now a senior at San Francisco’s School of the Arts (SOTA), with an eye on college, singer Patricia St. Peter feels as if she grew up with Chanticleer. That 12-voice, Grammy-winning men’s chorus is better-known for reaching back to the repertoire of the Renaissance than for stretching out to the next generation of choristers.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is running the second annual Dream House Raffle, a big fund-raising lottery with the grand prize a San Francisco house valued at $3 million or $1.5 million in cash.
