On Tap: Walnut Creek orchestra to start season with Beethoven concerto

WALNUT CREEK

The Diablo Symphony Orchestra will begin its 2023–2024 season on Sept.17 with Beethoven’s lyrical “Piano Concerto No. 4,” featuring returning pianist Randall Benway.

The program also includes the orchestral tone poem “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius, written in 1899 as a covert protest against the Russian empire’s increasing censorship, and his “Symphony No. 1,” which premiered in Helsinki in 1899 but was revised in 1900 for its European debut.

The piano solo that opens the concerto, the solidary clarinet and timpani passage that opens the symphony and the hymn-like melody of “Finlandia” (later adopted for the hymn “Be Still My Soul”) characterize a program that brings innovation, compelling rhythms and strikingly beautiful melodies to the stage.

The orchestra’s 61st season will feature local favorites Mads Tolling (violin), Greg Brown (saxophone) and Lafayette-based WomenSing in concerts offering joy-filled music — including three imaginative new works by women — ranging from Beethoven to jazz.

The orchestra will also tackle new heights itself, bringing Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” to Walnut Creek. Visit their website at diablosymphony.org for details of the season’s five regular concerts. Season and individual tickets (along with pricing information) are also available at the website, at the Lesher Center for the Arts box office over the phone at 925-943-7469 or in person at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek.

— Diablo Symphony Orchestra

LAFAYETTE

Perez, Town Hall Theatre’s new artistic director, taking helm

Town Hall Theatre Company has announced that Richard Perez will be their new artistic director, ushering in a new era for Contra Costa County’s longest-running theater company. With a well-established reputation for his extensive knowledge of theater arts and years of distinguished artistic leadership, Perez brings a poised and approachable demeanor to the organization.

His commitment to fostering inclusion, promoting diversity and upholding equity will be integral to all aspects of his work. The introduction of his philosophy of “radical hospitality” has been warmly embraced by the staff and board, setting a promising tone for the launch of the 2023-2024 season.

“I’m thrilled to embark on this new journey with the extraordinary artists, staff and audiences associated with Town Hall Theatre, said Perez. “I look forward to honoring its rich legacy while innovating and inspiring through our collective vision, continuing to bring exceptional storytelling to our community.”

Looking ahead, Town Hall Theatre management anticipates exciting growth under the guidance of Perez. Drawing on his seasoned expertise, he is expected to infuse the company with a balanced blend of tradition and innovative exploration that audiences are sure to enjoy.

Classic narratives will find renewed vitality, and contemporary perspectives will be given a platform to shine. With anticipation building, the theater company is prepared to deliver a season marked by exceptional performances and impactful storytelling.

— Town Hall Theatre

LAFAYETTE AND LIVERMORE

Bach’s ‘Brandenburg Concertos’ to be performed Sept. 16-17

The Pacific Chamber Orchestra will perform all six of Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos” with Lawrence Kohl conducting. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Sept 16 in the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church at 49 Knox Drive in Lafayette, and at 3 p.m. Sept 17 in the Bankhead Theater at 2400 First St. in Livermore.

The program will display Bach’s “imperishable genius” with an incredible variety of virtuoso concerto formats. The orchestra’s soloists include violinists Igor Veligan (who is also the orchestra’s concert master) and Iris Stone, along with harpsichordist Yuko Tanaka.

Visit pacificchamberorchestra.org online to buy tickets. Livermore performance tickets are also available through the Bankhead box office in person or at 925-373-6800.

— Pacific Chamber Orchestra

BRENTWOOD

Chorus welcomes new members, prepares for fall season

Want to get your holiday spirit started early? The Brentwood Community Chorus, under the direction of Susan Stuart, is preparing for an exciting fall season and welcomes new members.

The Brentwood Community Chorus is open to all ages and abilities and meeting now from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays in the Brentwood Community United Methodist Church at 809 Second St.

Rehearsal tracks are provided when you register so you can practice on your own if you can’t make it on a Tuesday. Registration information is available online at brentwoodcommunitychorus.com/join_us.

— Brentwood Community Chorus

WALNUT CREEK

‘Three Feathers’ opera’s West Coast premiere Sept. 8-10

Concord opera company Solo Opera is preparing its largest, most ambitious opera to date, “The Three Feathers,” with music by award-winning composer Lori Laitman and a libretto by former poet laureate Dana Gioia.

This family-friendly, 85-minute show will be sung in English and run Sept. 8-10 in the 785-seat Hofmann Theater at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. A fairly new opera, written in 2013 and premiering in 2014 at Virginia Tech’s Center for the Arts, “The Three Feathers” has been produced from the East Coast to Singapore.

With Solo Opera’s production, the full opera is finally premiering on the West Coast. Based on a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, the opera follows Princess Dora not as a damsel in distress but as a heroine. A magic feather leads the shy, self-doubting princess to an enchanted underworld ruled by a giant Frog King.

She summons her courage and compassion to face a series of mysterious and comic adventures in the underworld that change her life. Completing her quest, she saves her father’s kingdom from the plots of her selfish sisters and earns her right to the crown.

“We chose this opera, not only for its beautiful music and charming libretto, but for the important messages it shares about the power of women, believing in yourself and finding real treasure in life,” said Sylvia Amorino, Solo Opera’s executive director.

A 20-piece orchestra will be led by maestro Alexander Katsman, and librettist Dana Gioia, a former California poet laureate, will give a lecture. For tickets or more details, visit soloopera.org/upcoming-performances online or call at 925-943-7469.

— Solo Opera

ORINDA

Gallery exhibits black-and-white San Pablo Valley photos

In an exhibit hosted by the Lamorinda Arts Council at the Orinda Library, East Bay photographer Jeff Heyman is showcasing a unique series of 28 black-and-white photographs of the San Pablo Valley.

The exhibit is running now through Sept. 2 in The Art Gallery at Orinda Library, 26 Orinda Way in Orinda. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The small, intimate photographs draw the viewer into a range of light and shadow that capture the moodiness of the San Pablo Valley’s classic California landscape. The alternately sun-lit or fog-covered images invoke the light and dark moods characteristic of the valley’s changing scenery, the San Pablo Reservoir and San Pablo Bay.

Heyman, a Bay Area native, first took photography classes at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville. He went on to earn a fine art photography degree from San Francisco State University, studying under such photographers as Catherine Wagner, Don Worth, Jack Welpott and Melanie Walker and painters Paul Pratchenko and Robert Bechtle.

Heyman, who lives in Orinda, has had his work exhibited in solo and group shows. His photographs are regularly featured in the Lamorinda Weekly and Orinda News. His work, including the San Pablo Valley photographs, can be viewed onilne at heymanfoto.smugmug.com.

— Lamorinda Arts Council

MORAGA

‘Wonders of Man and Nature’ exhibit to open at art gallery

For years in the Bay Area, photographer Wenda Pyman and acrylic painter Linh Kang have opened viewers’ eyes to uncommon features of the world. Both artists are being featured in a new exhibit, “Wonders of Man and Nature,” at the Moraga Art Gallery in the Rheem Shopping Center at 432 Center St. in Moraga.

For this exhibit, Pyman focused her camera on the lines, curves and shadows found on beautiful buildings, while Kang shows lotus blossoms awash with color emerging from murky waters, reminding us symbolically that every new day brings fresh eternal hope.

On view until Oct. 22, the show also includes work by more than two dozen gallery members and guest artists. For more information, visit moragaartgallery.com online or call 925-376-5407.

— Moraga Art Gallery

DANVILLE

Artists group shows ‘Motion’ exhibit at Blackhawk Gallery

The Alamo Danville Artists’ Society has opened a new show at its Blackhawk Gallery. The “Motion” exhibit features sculptures by guest artists Michael Rizza and jewelry artist Nancy Hoover’s works as well as art by 28 member artists. Members’ artworks include paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs and wearable art.

The exhibit is curated by Debby Koonce, Andrea Schwartz and Julia O’Reilly and will continue through Oct. 22. The gallery is at 3416 Blackhawk Plaza Circle. For more information, call 925-648-8023 or go online to blackhawkgallery.org or adas4art.org.

— Alamo Danville Artists’ Society

Submit area arts-and-entertainment On Tap items to Judith Prieve at jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.