Curious Flights Concerts Series

Photo credit: Kristen Loken

Curious Flights, a new chamber music series devoted to new & rarely performed repertoire, launches its inaugural season next week, April 26th, at the Capp Street Community Music Center. The audience-friendly program features a new work by Joseph Stillwell, who premiered an appealing Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano last year. In recognition of the Britten centennial, a June program presents the West Coast premiere of Movements for a Clarinet Concerto. Britten wrote sketches for a clarinet concerto while in America during 1941, but the manuscript was impounded by customs when he left the country, & Britten never finished the work. Composer Colin Matthews realized a 3 movement concerto from the fragments in 2007. The performance will be conducted by Alasdair Neale, with soloist Brenden Guy (pictured). Mr. Guy also happens to be the organizing principle behind Curious Flights, having previously instigated genial chamber concerts with SF Conservatory alumni. The final concert of the season takes place in October & features British composer Edwin Roxburgh, who will conduct his How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear, music to accompany Edward Lear's verse.

§ Curious Flights Inaugural Season

§ Cultural Fusion
Friday, April 26, 2013 at 8 p.m.
Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street

Brian Holmes – Updike’s Science
Joseph Stillwell – Fantasy Pieces *World Premiere Commission
Paul Schoenfield – Café Music
Aram Khachaturian – Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Arnold Bax – Nonet

Valinor Winds
Aleron Trio
Curious Flights Chamber Ensemble
Brenden Guy, conductor
Indre Viskontas, soprano


§ A Britten Celebration
Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 8 p.m.
San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concert Hall

Britten – Winter Words, Op.52
Britten – Wind Sextet
Britten – Phantasy Quintet in F minor
Britten – Movements for a Clarinet Concerto

Friction Quartet
Valinor Winds
Curious Flights Symphony Orchestra
Alasdair Neale, conductor
Brenden Guy, clarinet
James Rodgers, tenor


§ Transatlantic Crossings
Friday, October 18, 2013 at 8 p.m.
San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concert Hall

Dylan Mattingly – Six Night Sunrise
Edwin Roxburgh – Dithyramb I
Larry London – Scenes from Dobashi
Edwin Roxburgh – Aube
Edwin Roxburgh – How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear

Curious Flights Chamber Orchestra
Nicholas Reed, percussion
Edwin Roxburgh, conductor