Stewart to play La Jolla Summerfest Aug 21St

[Lynne]

See also this from the local SD press:

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... fest/?arts

I'm in for group tix and room shares! It's gonna be tight because I'm flying back on the 20th from a conference, so I'll be jet lagged as hell, but I can do it !

[Chatchka]

For the lazy and those who cannot link from their workplaces...

The La Jolla Music Society has a history of commissioning new works for its annual chamber music festival, SummerFest. But this year's SummerFest promises to break new ground with an Aug. 21 world premiere by Police drummer and accomplished film composer Stewart Copeland.

Copeland will also appear in an Aug. 20 screening and discussion of his 2006 documentary film, “Everybody Stares: The Police Inside Out.” His piece is the first in a series of Music Society commissions from film composers.

“Commissioning film composers will add a new dimension for us, just as the jazz commissions have,” said Christopher Beach, president and artistic director of the La Jolla Music Society. “It happened Stewart is the first one whose music is going to get played. John Williams has agreed to write a piece for us; he just hasn't told us when that's going to happen.”

SummerFest will happen July 31 through Aug. 23. For the third year, the festival will be anchored by three Tuesday night concerts focusing on a single composer – Mendelssohn this year. And it will devote three Wednesday night concerts to “An Evening with ...” format, this year featuring Menahem Pressler (famed as the pianist for the Beaux Arts Trio), pianist Andreas Haefliger and violinist Mark O'Connor.

The Music Society has not been immune to the slowing economy. Unlike other years, when the festival has ventured into Copley Symphony Hall, the North Park Theatre and last year La Jolla's Ellen Browning Scripps Park, the society is cutting costs by producing all the SummerFest concerts at its home base of Sherwood Auditorium in the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

It has eliminated its Dancing at SummerFest and Jazz at SummerFest programs, and reduced the number of performances from 16 (last year) to 13.

“All of those save a great deal of money,” said Beach. “And I hope in 2010 we will be right back where we were before, with dance and jazz. But that decision won't be made until later.”

Still, with four commissions (from Copeland, George Tsontakis, Paul Schoenfield and Gunther Schuller), three programs including chamber orchestra, guest artists like actor Michael York, musicians of the caliber of Carter Brey and Fred Sherry, Beach contends that the festival has more than retained a variety of programming and its core offerings.

“In fact, you just can't cut and cut and cut,” said Beach. “You lose your momentum, you lose your focus. So we still have a number of big concerts.”

The SummerFest Chamber Orchestra, comprised of SummerFest artists and musicians from the region, with some members of the San Diego Symphony, performs on three programs, including an Aug. 18 Mendelssohn program with San Diego Symphony music director Jahja Ling.

“We've had Jahja Ling as a conductor and a pianist,” said SummerFest music director Cho-Liang Lin. “This relationship with the San Diego Symphony is very important to me. And I know it is to Christopher also.”

Lin, an internationally renowned violin virtuoso, will perform in seven of the 13 programs, ranging from an Aug. 9 program of “(Nearly) Forgotten Masterpieces” (with works by Dvorak, Glinka and Dohanyi) to the Aug. 21 “SummerFest Commissions” program (with new pieces by Tsontakis, Schoenfield and Copeland).

“My hope is people will come away from the festival thinking, well, there are well-known pieces, and there are less-known pieces, but when they are treated by outstanding players with great care and love, things come alive,” said Lin. “Whether the music is well known or not known, it can all be shared and enjoyed.”

Jim Chute is Special Sections editor of the Union-Tribune.


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Note this part: Copeland will also appear in an Aug. 20 screening and discussion of his 2006 documentary film, “Everybody Stares: The Police Inside Out.” His piece is the first in a series of Music Society commissions from film composers.


I would totally be in for seeing the movie on the big screen again, and participating in the Q&A session. The Q&A was my favorite part of Savannah! P-rule, you could ask the one word question again.... "(um), Oysterhead?"

There are so many post-tourzilla questions to be answered, inasmuch as the treaty will allow, of course.

[policerule]

[quote="Chatchka"] P-rule, you could ask the one word question again.... "(um), Oysterhead?"

There are so many post-tourzilla questions to be answered, inasmuch as the treaty will allow, of course.
[/quote]



I was too shy, so my husband blurted that out, but I'd actually phrase the question differently this time. Maybe preface another question with "I get the impression that Oysterhead is out, so..." and then ask something else while still getting in 2 questions. Tee hee.

Hope we don't get slammed from the local journalists again for simply being fans.

[Chatchka]

Fuck them if they can't handle us. As long as the man is happy we are there, fuck the fucking press. He probably has a lot more fans out there than in Savannah, so it isn't likely that we'll stand out as much.

OASN, Where is Charlie Arnold? I figured he'd be jumping on the bandwagon for this. Isn't he a SOCAL guy?

[DirtyMartini]

[quote="policerule"]I was too shy, so my husband blurted that out, but I'd actually phrase the question differently this time.[/quote]

HAHA, what question? Poor Mr. PRule didn't even get to inflect "Oysterhead"; it was just a one-word statement that sent the Maestro off and running.

Thanks for the info, Lynne (and the pasting, Chatchka). I'm still a big ol' *shrug*, but it's nice to have some more info.

[njperry]

For those who are considering whether to go, I would note just how incredible it was last year in Savannah to hear Stewart play his music live.

I enoyed the Orchestralli CD but hearing Stewart play the songs in person was SO much better. Just incredible.

Of course only one of the songs on the agenda here is on Orchestralli, Gene Pool.

All of that said, I am still not positive I will make it out but likely enough to justify the ticket price for the event.

[themudderqueen]

I'm in for group tickets and room shares. There's a LOT to do and see down that way. Please keep me posted.