Primary tabs

Michael Zwiebach

Michael Zwiebach is the senior editor/ content manager for SFCV. He assigns all articles and content, manages the writing staff and does editing. A member of SFCV from the beginning, Michael holds a Ph.D. in music history from the University of California, Berkeley.

Articles by this Author

Feature Article
Another Opening to Opera From an Edgy Company
September 9, 2020
Another Opening to Opera From an Edgy Company
BY Michael Zwiebach

West Edge Opera comes up with another program to foster new works, creativity, and inclusion during our season of discontent.

More »
Artist Spotlight
Pamela Z Goes Viral
August 18, 2020
Pamela Z Goes Viral
BY Michael Zwiebach

The composer/performer has had a turbocharged 2019–2020, while being on the same roller coaster as the rest of us.

More »
SF International Piano Festival Plows Ahead
August 11, 2020
SF International Piano Festival Plows Ahead
BY Michael Zwiebach
Stiff upper lip, never say die, and keep your ears peeled and your eyes on the keyboard.
More »
Feature Article
A Round Table on Black Conductors and Classical Music
August 4, 2020
A Round Table on Black Conductors and Classical Music
BY Michael Zwiebach

Four conductors discuss their experiences, views on orchestral culture, and whether things are getting better.

More »
Feature Article
The Epic Trail to Women’s Suffrage Receives an Equally Epic Memorial at Cabrillo Festival
July 28, 2020
The Epic Trail to Women’s Suffrage Receives an Equally Epic Memorial at Cabrillo Festival
BY Michael Zwiebach

Stacy Garrop’s The Battle for the Ballot gets a world premiere in 2020 despite the lockdown and the dispersal of Cabrillo’s orchestra across the U.S. It’s just that important.

More »
Voices of Music Offers Useful Webinar About Video for Streaming Platforms
July 21, 2020
Voices of Music Offers Useful Webinar About Video for Streaming Platforms
BY Michael Zwiebach
They may be small, but online they are mighty. This webinar is being taught by old hands in creating online content.
More »
Upcoming Concert
In an Enforced Pause, Opera San José Modernizes Its Relationship to Internet Tech
July 21, 2020
Opera San José
In an Enforced Pause, Opera San José Modernizes Its Relationship to Internet Tech
BY Michael Zwiebach

An online recital points the way to many more possibilities, posits General Director Khori Dastoor.

More about Opera San José »
Ars Minerva Offers Up More Cocktails and Chit-Chat
July 7, 2020
Ars Minerva Offers Up More Cocktails and Chit-Chat
BY Michael Zwiebach
The tiny opera company has another wildly entertaining opera up its sleeve. Until then, it invites you behind the scenes in a series of Zoom chats.
More »
Feature Article
Living Earth Show Will Make Your Isolation More Bearable This Year
June 30, 2020
Living Earth Show Will Make Your Isolation More Bearable This Year
BY Michael Zwiebach

The experimental duo has just premiered Music for Hard Times, with more online music with film on the horizon.

More »
Valley of the Moon Music Festival Set to Stream
June 23, 2020
Valley of the Moon Music Festival Set to Stream
BY Michael Zwiebach
Denied its venue by the shutdown, the enterprising festival will present concerts live online.
More »
Artist Spotlight
Adolphus Hailstork: Bridging Two Worlds
June 23, 2020
Adolphus Hailstork: Bridging Two Worlds
BY Michael Zwiebach

The prolific composer, one of the living giants of American composition, discusses his own idiosyncratic life journey and becoming comfortable with his nonconformist musical style.

More »
Feature Article
Recommended Streaming for Juneteenth
June 16, 2020
Recommended Streaming for Juneteenth
BY Michael Zwiebach

UPDATED June 17: Music for a holiday that is also a memorial.

More »
Cal Performances Offers a Chance to Learn a Piece From <em>Revelations</em>
June 9, 2020
Cal Performances Offers a Chance to Learn a Piece From Revelations
BY Michael Zwiebach
Alvin Ailey dancer Hope Boykin will lead a Zoom class later this month.
More »
Feature Article
Recommended Streaming From the Interwebs
June 2, 2020
Recommended Streaming From the Interwebs
BY Michael Zwiebach

Timely music for an unquiet time.

More »
Classical Organizations Observe #TheShowMustBePaused
June 2, 2020
Classical Organizations Observe #TheShowMustBePaused
BY Michael Zwiebach
Classical institutions show support for antiracism while continuing the painful examination of our own privilege and silent complicity.
More »
Feature Article
Why Verdi Struggled With Grand Opera and How He Won
May 26, 2020
Why Verdi Struggled With Grand Opera and How He Won
BY Michael Zwiebach

The composer’s campaign to have a hit at the Paris Opera tells us a lot about writing for big opera houses today.

More »
An Astonishing and Brave 2021 Season From Long Beach Opera
May 19, 2020
An Astonishing and Brave 2021 Season From Long Beach Opera
BY Michael Zwiebach
The company plans a “Season of Solidarity” that features four ambitious productions.
More »
Feature Article
Recommended: Music We Think You Should Listen To
May 12, 2020
Recommended: Music We Think You Should Listen To
BY Michael Zwiebach

Fantastic performances from a week spent strolling the internet.

More »
Renée Fleming’s Latest Gig: Hosting a Music and Science Webinar
May 12, 2020
Renée Fleming’s Latest Gig: Hosting a Music and Science Webinar
BY Michael Zwiebach
Music and Mind Live builds on the star soprano’s longtime interests in practical implications of music-and-the-brain research.
More »
Santa Cruz Symphony Bends Its 2020–2021 Season in Order Not to Break It
May 5, 2020
Santa Cruz Symphony Bends Its 2020–2021 Season in Order Not to Break It
BY Michael Zwiebach
There will be concerts by Santa Cruz Symphony again, but the orchestra is hedging its bets as to when.
More »

Pages