2024-25 Season

Maestro Peter Jaffe has programmed another season of outstanding music for all to experience – from major works of Bernstein, Dvořák, Elgar, Gershwin, and Ravel to festive holiday music and blockbuster movie themes. Joining us will be a group of top tier guest artists showcasing their talents throughout the season. As a season subscriber of our five concert series, you have the opportunity to lock in your seats before the general public and enjoy up to a 20% price discount. Call the Harris Center at 916-608-6888 to secure your season subscription.

NEW WORLD

Saturday, October 12, 2024, 7:30 pm
Gabriela Martinez, piano

Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F
Dvořák: “New World” Symphony

Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez has a reputation for the lyricism of her playing, her compelling interpretations, and her elegant stage presence. Her playing has been described as “magical… a remarkable pianist, with a cool determination, a tone full of glowing color and a seemingly effortless technique” (Mark Swed/LA Times) and “compelling…versatile, daring and insightful” (New York Times).

Ms. Martinez made her orchestral debut at age six, and has performed with over 100 orchestras including the San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Pacific and Fort Worth symphonies; Buffalo Philharmonic, Germany’s Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nurnberger Philharmoniker, Canada’s Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the Costa Rica National Symphony, and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela.

Ms. Martinez was the First Prize winner of the Anton G. Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Dresden, and a semifinalist at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, where she also received the Jury Discretionary Award. She attended The Juilliard School, where she earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees as a full scholarship student of Yoheved Kaplinsky. Ms.Martinez was a member of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect and worked on her doctoral studies with Marco Antonio de Almeida in Halle, Germany.

HOLIDAY CHEER
Saturday, December 7, 2024, 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 8, 2024, 2:00 pm
Natalie Cordone, soprano
Cedric Berry, bass-baritone
Northern California Children’s Chorus

Brilliant vocalists and adorable young talents join the festivities for a program packed with goodies—It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, O Holy Night, music from The Nutcracker, Frozen, Home Alone, and many more!

From Off-Broadway to first class Performing Arts Centers, Natalie Cordone has played to packed houses around the world.  Equally comfortable in front of a sweeping orchestra, a big band or in an intimate cabaret venue, she has had the pleasure of connecting with audiences  in all kinds of settings. From opera to musical theatre, film to commercials, and concerts to corporate events, Natalie has traveled the globe entertaining and inspiring audiences. 

In 2017, Ms. Cordone won Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal in Some Enchanted Evening. She has also headlined with The Colorado Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, The Greensboro Symphony and the  Orlando Philharmonic Orchestras; starred in Rhapsody & Rhythm: The Gershwin Concert Experience, The Gershwin Big Band Experience (producer, Todd Gershwin); and The Start of Something Big: The Music of Steve & Eydie.

Cedric Berry wields “a bass-baritone of considerable power and agility” (The Chicago Tribune), projecting “machismo and a voice of fabulous mettle to the theatre’s last row….tossing off difficult passagework and deploying dazzling thunderbolts of sound at the top of the range” (Voix des Arts).

Roles include the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust, Lepporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Shaunard in Puccini’s La Boheme.

Companies include Los Angeles Opera, The Industry Opera, Long Beach Opera, Savonlinna Opera Festival of Finnland, Banlieurs Bleues Festival of France and the Ravinia Music Festival, to name a few. He has appeared with Pacific Symphony, Arizona Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Pasadena Pops Orchestra, California Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Telemann Chamber Orchestra of Japan. He also won first place in the Metropolitan Opera Western Region Competition.

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
March 1, 2025, 7:30 pm
Harris Center for the Arts
Ji in Yang, violin

Bizet: Selections from Carmen
He Zhanhao and Chen Gang: The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

South Korean virtuoso Ji in Yang embarked on her musical journey at the age of six, guided by a profound passion for the art form. Since then, she has shared her music with audiences around the world, striving to connect deeply with each listener through her performances. As a guest soloist, Ms. Yang has collaborated with renowned ensembles spanning the United States and Korea, including distinguished orchestras such as the KBS Symphony Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, Daegu Symphony Orchestra, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others. Recognized for her expressive and nuanced playing, the United Kingdom’s Musical Opinion described her solo appearance at Cadogan Hall as ‘brilliantly played.’

Ms. Yang’s educational background includes Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Hyo Kang and Dorothy DeLay. She has earned an Artist Diploma on a full scholarship from Yale University under Hyo Kang and earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts on a full scholarship at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York with Daniel Phillips.

Ms. Yang plays on a Petrus Guarnerius violin, crafted in Venice in 1723.

SYMPHONY GOES WILD
Saturday, April 12, 2025, 7:30 pm
Evan Kahn, cello

Saint-Saëns: Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Tan Dun: Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds
Ravel: Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloé

Evan Kahn has been praised as “a cellist deserved of serious listening” for bringing his “electrifying … nuanced and colorful” style to all of his collaborations, from concerti to chamber music to contemporary performances. He has commissioned and premiered over 60 works by composers from around the world, including his father’s Cello Concerto.

Evan is principal cellist in San Francisco Opera and New Century Chamber Orchestra, as well as Opera San Jose and the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. Dedicated to the orchestral craft, he has also enjoyed time performing with the San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, and Los Angeles Opera. In April/May 2018, he served as Artist-in-Residence with Performance Today at NPR, sharing some of his favorite works for cello and his philosophies on music and life. In February 2019, he was named Musical America’s New Artist of the Month. He is a resident cellist for a number of Bay Area small ensembles, including Ninth Planet, After Everything, and the Wave Chamber Music Collective.

Evan received a Master’s in Chamber Music at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Jennifer Culp. He graduated with college and university honors from Carnegie Mellon University, studying with David Premo.

MOVIES WITH THE MAESTRO
Saturday, June 7, 2025, 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 8, 2025, 2:00 pm
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophone
Michael Downing, vibraphone

This Hollywood hit parade will bring you critically acclaimed film scores from blockbuster movies spanning many decades—everything from Gone with the Wind and Rocky to Star Wars and La La Land. PLUS as a special treat, a dynamic jazz duo will treat us to music from Catch Me if You Can—not to be missed!

Jonathan Hulting-Cohen’s performances as soloist and chamber musician have been considered “impressive” with “exceptional facility” (Schenectady Daily Gazette), and “fun to watch” (Oregon Arts Watch). He made his concerto debut with the Philadelphia Classical Symphony in 2011. Subsequent performances include concerti with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra , Stockton Symphony, Sequoia Symphony Orchestra , Chamber Music Northwest, Carnegie Hall, and the Virtuosi Concert Series in Winnipeg, Canada. He is co-founder of The Moanin’ Frogs saxophone sextet and the saxophone and harp duo Admiral Launch, whose debut records appeared on Teal Creek and Albany. Mr. Hulting-Cohen earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the University of Michigan under Donald Sinta. Mr. Hulting-Cohen is an Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Michael Downing is section percussionist with the Sacramento Philharmonic and the Stockton Symphony, as well as the founder of the Orphic Percussion Quartet. He is the Professor of Percussion at CSU Stanislaus and holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Fresno State. An active freelance musician, he has performed with the San Francisco Symphony and virtually every orchestra in Central California. He has been the pit percussionist for many musicals including the broadway tour of Wicked. Mr. Downing also enjoys teaching private lessons and giving clinics for local schools, as well as being an active member of the California Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society.