OAKLAND SYMPHONY X NICK FRANCIS
Creative Direction, Art and Design by Nick Francis for the 2018-2019 Season of The Oakland Symphony.
Live, meaningful experiences define our 2018–2019 season. Together, we will explore the issues of our time by remembering those lost in the tragic Ghost Ship fire, as well as amplifying the voices of women across our musical landscape. We will look anew at time-honored composers from Rachmaninoff to Ellington, honor the rich cultural traditions of the African Diaspora, and bring you to your feet with the audience choice winner, Shostakovich’s powerful 5th Symphony. And throughout, we’ll celebrate 100 years of musical innovation with the work of my mentor and teacher, Leonard Bernstein, capping the season with an exuberant concert performance of West Side Story.
Two Performance Animations for The Oakland Symphony. Animation One: W. Kamau Bell's Playlist.Animation Two: Rooted In Oakland.
Animations by Nick Francis. Artwork by Rich Black
Reclaiming My Time
Friday, October 12, 2018, 8 pm
Containing a sea of emotions, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, our Audience Choice winner, reflected his situation as an artist who would be judged by politics as much as by talent. Rachmaninov poured his heart into his Piano Concerto No. 2, following a period of crushing depression. Pianist Stewart Goodyear joins the symphony for a spectacular opening night.
Requiem for Ghost Ship
Friday, November 16, 2018, 8 pm
December 2016 shook us all. This evening is dedicated to the artists and dreamers lost in the tragic Ghost Ship fire and is anchored by the world premiere of Richard Marriott’s moving cello concerto commissioned in their memory. Brahms’ Requiem, featuring Oakland Symphony Chorus, contemplates death as a part of life, one that embraces its beauty and sorrow.
TO BELONG HERE: NOTES FROM THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
Friday, October 12, 2018, 8 pm
Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint George, born to a plantation owner and a slave, became a virtuoso violinist and composer — combining the folk songs of his childhood in Guadeloupe with the sounds of Mozart. Florence Price was the first African American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Duke Ellington described his elegy to Harlem: “You may hear a parade go by, or a funeral, or you may recognize those who are making Civil Rights demands.” Soprano Shawnette Sulker is featured.
“SÍ, SE PUEDE”: DOLORES HUERTA’S PLAYLIST
Friday, October 12, 2018, 8 pm
Community activist, feminist, and co-founder of the United Farm Workers — Dolores Huerta has
been on a lifelong journey to correct economic and social injustice. Ms. Huerta picks the playlist of her life, as told through the voice of your symphony.
I RAISE UP MY VOICE
Friday, October 12, 2018, 8 pm
Jessie Montgomery’s Banner comments on the Star Spangled Banner with an inspiration from traditional symphonic works, African-American spirituals, and the anthems of the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Louise Farrenc’s gorgeous Third Symphony was composed in 1847, at a time when women were more seen than heard. SF Opera Adler Fellows perform Bernstein’s Songfest, a musical journey through America’s past as told through the words of 13 poets.
WEST SIDE STORY
Friday, October 12, 2018, 8 pm
Leonard Bernstein’s beloved revision of the Romeo and Juliet story is a tale hauntingly relevant today. Love blooms among a war of class, immigration, and urban evolution, and begs the question: can true love overcome bias? Stunning songs from “Maria” to “Somewhere” fill the Paramount alongside the snaps and jibes of the Sharks and Jets in this concert performance.