PBO goes for baroque to honor McGegan
After her first aria to a nearly sold-out crowd at the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra gala, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham warned her thrilled fans, “It’s only going to get louder.”
San Francisco City Hall was decked out in massive bouquets and open bars for a gala dinner honoring PBO conductor Nicholas McGegan on his 30th anniversary as the orchestra’s leader.
Gourmet meals and martinis usually hold a dim second place to posing for photographs at most high-priced fundraisers, but the PBO crowd was itching to finish dinner and head across Van Ness Avenue to Herbst Theater for a show entitled, “Baroque Fireworks.”
In the back row of the orchestra, musician Douglas Yeo played the serpent, an all but extinct instrument that looks just a snake.
Overheard on the walk from the concert back to an after-party at City Hall was a tuxedoed discussion on exactly when Baroque music first enjoyed popularity.
[...] by the looks of the decaf coffee line and crowd dwindle before midnight, the orchestra’s biggest fan base remains silver-haired.
A jazz trio played on the steps of City Hall’s rotunda and high tables offered a remarkably delicious array of desserts served in shot glasses.
Graham, who was formally announced at the after-party to wide-eyed applause and glowing kudos, shares McGegan’s passion for the material and the physicality that comes along with it.
Throughout the evening, guests marveled at the conductor’s charm and intimate involvement with both the orchestra and his audience.