California Symphony Returning Live In Walnut Creek Next Month

WALNUT CREEK, CA —After offering virtual performances for over a year due to the pandemic, the Walnut Creek-based California Symphony recently announced that it was returning to live concerts in September.

Earlier this month, the symphony announced the schedule for its 2021-22 season at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive.

Donato Cabrera, music director of the California Symphony, recently explained to BroadwayWorld.com, the importance of live music returning to the Bay Area.

"The music I chose for California Symphony's 2021-22 season reflects upon and acknowledges the reality that our community has been without live music for well over a year and a half," Cabrera said. "When actively engaged with, live music has the unique ability to give us personal perspective and understanding while in a shared setting. Through our programming this season, California Symphony welcomes back our Bay Area family with open arms."

The season will open on Sept. 18 and 19 with Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto, which will feature award-winning pianist Adam Golka as soloist. The program also will include Marianna Martines' "Sinfonia" and Ralph Vaughan Williams' rarely performed "Symphony No. 5."

The first performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, and the second will be at 4 p.m. the following day.

Other highlights during the 2021-22 season include:

Nov. 6 and 7: The orchestra's strings will play a full program, with George Walker's "Lyric for Strings" and Alexi Kenney soloing on Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons."

Jan. 29 and 30: Concertmaster Jennifer Cho will front the orchestra in Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending," followed by other bird-inspired works, like: Haydn's "The Hen" and Jean Sibelius' "The Swan of Tuonela."

March 26 and 27: The French Impressions concert features "Three Studies After Couperin" a chamber work by Thomas Adès based on tunes by French Baroque harpsichordist and composer Francois Couperin. The concert also features the pandemic-delayed premiere of former Composer-in-Residence Katherine Balch's "Illuminate," a song cycle based on poet Arthur Rimbaud's "Les Illuminations."

On its website, the Lesher Center highlighted some of the COVID-19 protocols that will be in place during the upcoming season. In accordance with Contra Costa Health Services requirements, all individuals age 2 and older will be required to wear face coverings inside the facility.

The theater said it has installed top of the line Plasma Air Self-Cleaning Bi-Polar Ionizers and hospital grade air filters to allow fresh, clean air throughout the facility. There also are sanitizing stations and touchless sinks, and the theater officials said the facility undergoes regular electrostatic spray surface cleaning.

Touchless ticketing now will be the norm. However, SFClassicalVoice.com recently reported that there will not be a vaccination requirement to attend the symphony.

The theater also has advertised that it is "Making Concerts Fun," by allowing audience members to bring drinks to their seat, keep their phones on, though silent, and to clap when they like what they hear. Cabrera, the maestro, also will give a free pre-concert talk an hour before each program.

Information and tickets are available on the California Symphony website.