Samper Recital Hall, Cabrillo College — Saturday, May 26, 7 p.m. • Sunday, May 27, 2 p.m.
Music in May returns to Cabrillo College Samper Recital Hall on Memorial Weekend, featuring guest artist Cho-Liang Lin, a violinist who has soloed with virtually every major symphony orchestra in the world. LA Times declares him “a rare combination of virtuosity and humanity.”
Joining Mr. Lin are some of today’s most prominent classical artists. Among them, pianist Anna Polonsky [“…someone to watch.” –The New York Times], cellist Jonah Kim [“…the next Yo Yo Ma.” –Washington Post], violinist Liang-Ping How [Orpheus Chamber Orchestra], violist Daniel Stewart [also Music Director of the Santa Cruz Symphony], and violist Jaime Amador [Harlem Quartet].
To commemorate the passing of festival director Rebecca Jackson’s primary advisor and mentor, David Arben, the festival has commissioned a work for solo violin by Polina Nazaykinskaya. Former Associate Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Arben was honored in 2012 at Music in May’s Fifth Anniversary through another commission, also composed by Nazaykinskaya.
Saturday evening’s program includes Beethoven’s String Quintet in C Major and Brahms Piano Quartet in C Minor. Sunday afternoon’s program includes the world premiere of Nazakinskaya’s Hope and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G Minor. The grand finale will be 15 strings in Tchaikovsky’s Serenade led by Cho-Liang Lin.
The heart of Music in May is its outreach in Santa Cruz County classrooms and other centers serving youth, programs that extend far beyond the festival in May. Since 2015, MiM makes regular visits to Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall.
Former assistant division director Jennifer Buesing remarks, “The music programs reach their souls … giving them hope that there is something more. The kids take away that there is something so much more to this life.”
This year the resident outreach ensemble Sound Impact string trio takes MiM’s outreach to new heights through more school visits and residencies at two juvenile detention centers.
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Saturday, May 26
Samper Recital Hall, Cabrillo College
7 p.m. Pre-concert lecture
/8 p.m. Concert
Sunday, May 27
Samper Recital Hall, Cabrillo College
2 p.m. Pre-concert lecture
/3 p.m. Concert
For more about the 18 artists and ticket information visit: www.musicinmay.org