Music Department To Present ‘Bach in the Mission IV’ Jan. 25
The Cal Poly Early Music Ensemble and select members of the Cal Poly Symphony will present “Bach in the Mission IV” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.
The student ensemble will be joined by members of Cal Poly’s music faculty and musicians from San Luis Obispo and Southern California. Violinists Brynn Albanese and Paul Severtson will be the featured soloists.
The program, featuring works by J. S. Bach, includes Cantata No. 4, “Christ lag in Todes Banden” (Christ lay in death's bonds); Motet No. 6, “Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden” (Praise the Lord, all the heathens); Sonata for Violin and Continuo in E minor, BWV 1023; and Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, with Albanese and Severtson.
Albanese has a music performance degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. She studied with Elizabeth Ivanoff Holborn, Earl Carlyss and Shirley Givens. She has performed and toured with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague, Netherlands. She currently performs and records with the classical crossover ensemble Café Musique and serves as concertmaster for both the Symphony of the Vines and Opera San Luis Obispo. She teaches violin at Cal Poly.
Severtson is co-concertmaster of the San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra and is a founding member of the Tolosa Strings Chamber Ensemble. A graduate of the Yale School of Music, he has performed in numerous symphony, opera, ballet and chamber orchestras; popular, rock ’n’ roll and jazz groups; contemporary music ensembles; and as a folk musician with a special interest in the Norwegian hardanger fiddle. Severtson is the development director at public radio KCBX FM-90 and teaches violin at Cal Poly.
Additional Cal Poly music faculty members who will perform include vocalists Meredith Brammeier, Ken Habib, and Susan Azaret Davies; violist Severtson; cellist Jeanne Shumway; bassist Ken Hustad; organist Paul Woodring; and harpsichordist David Arrivée.
Local musicians to perform include violist David Hennessee and violinists Pam Dassenko, Grace Seng, Valerie Nelson and Emily Cox — all members of the San Luis Obispo Symphony; and vocalists Jill Anderson; Paul Osborne; Michael Shasberger, the Adams chair of music and worship at Westmont College in Santa Barbara; and Grey Brothers, professor of music at Westmont College.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our talented Cal Poly students to sit next to professional musicians and make music at a very high level,” said music Professor Thomas Davies, who will co-conduct the concert with music Professor David Arrivée.
“Performing this great master’s music within the walls of our beautiful San Luis Obispo Mission is a great pleasure and joy for all the musicians,” Arrivée said. “Our students walk away with a feeling of great pride and accomplishment at performing these beautiful pieces in a very special environment, surrounded by our area's best musicians.”
Tickets to the concert are $14 for the public, $12 for senior citizens, and $9 for students. Tickets are sold at the Performing Arts Ticket Office between noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To order by phone, call SLO-4TIX (756-4849). To order online, visit tickets.calpoly.edu. Tickets may also be purchased at the door the night of the concert.
The Music Department offers a 10 percent discount to patrons who buy season tickets to four of its events through the Performing Arts Ticket Office; a 15 percent discount is given on tickets to five or more events.
The concert is sponsored by Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts, Music Department, and Instructionally Related Activities program. Additional support is provided by the Handler and Steiner Family Fund.
For more information, call the Music Department at 805-756-2406.