This week in On The Arts, KALW’s radio magazine for the Bay Area performing arts, host David Latulippe talks with American soprano Leah Hawkins (pictured), who is the featured guest artist at upcoming concerts by the New Century Chamber Orchestra at venues around the Bay Area (Jan 20-23). Also, a conversation with Corey Ross, producer of exhibit The Art of Banksy, now extended through February 27 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. Plus, regular contributor Peter Robinson discusses his six books of the year, and reflects on how reading has helped us through Covid.
New Century Chamber Orchestra returns to the stage in the New Year with a series of concerts titled Hope Leads Appalachian Spring, featuring works from the mid-20th century that shaped the American sound for a new generation, headlined by Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite for 13 instruments.
American soprano Leah Hawkins makes her New Century debut as soloist in a collection of songs by influential voices from the Harlem Renaissance, including We Have Tomorrow and Hold Fast to Dreams by Florence Price, Songs of Separation by William Grant Still, Come Sunday by Duke Ellington and Chloe’s Aria from Harry Lawrence Freeman’s Voodoo, an opera set in Louisiana during the Reconstruction Era. Also featured on the program is Rounds for Strings by David Diamond, and Adoration, a work for violin and strings by Florence Price, in which NCCO music director Daniel Hope is the soloist.
The program runs at three different locations around the Bay Area: First Congregational Church, Berkeley (Jan 20; 7:30pm); Bing Concert Hall, Palo Alto (Jan 22; 7:30pm); and Presidio Theatre, San Francisco (Jan 23; 3pm).
We talk with Corey Ross, producer of exhibit The Art of Banksy, which has been extended through February 27 at the Palace of Fine Arts (3601 Lyon St.) in San Francisco, due to overwhelming public demand.
The Art of Banksy is the largest touring exhibition of authentic Banksy artworks, sourced from private collectors around the world. The exhibit features more than 100 works by the elusive street artist, including many of his most recognizable images such as Flower Thrower, Rude Copper, and Girl with Balloon. Banksy’s works are typically seen on city walls, bridges, and streets throughout the world, but The Art of Banksy offers a rare chance to see a multitude of works in one location.
Plus, On The Arts’ regular contributor and critic at large, Peter Robinson, presents his choice of six books of the year, and gives his thoughts on how reading has helped us through Covid. The books he discusses are: Hitler's American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germany’s March to Global War Hardcover (Brendan Simms); Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom (Carl Bernstein); Intimacies: (Katie Kitamura); The Unquiet Englishman: A Life of Graham Greene (Richard Greene); Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages (Dan Jones); and Silverview (John le Carré).
On The Arts, with host David Latulippe; heard live on Thursday, January 13 at 1pm, to be archived at this very location until the internet dies. Listen now or anytime…