Gold Coast concert: Oboe-Centric

Gold Coast Chamber Players open season with ‘Oboe-Centric on September 24, 2016 at 7:30PM

In a not-to-be-missed season premiere, the Gold Coast Chamber Players launch their 2016-17 season with the first of five concerts, Oboe-Centric, featuring oboist Laura Griffiths, violinist Livia Sohn, violist Pamela Freund-Striplen, cellist Robert Howard, and pianist Yana Reznik. The concert includes works by Faure, Britten, Handel-Halvorsen, and Rheinberger. The concert will be presented in the Community Hall at the Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette.

The program begins with an exploration of Benjamin Britten’s wildly inventive works for oboe, the Phantasy Quartet for oboe and strings featuring Laura Griffiths, principal oboe from San Francisco Ballet Orchestra showcases her expressive and virtuosic talents.

Violinist Livia Sohn will take center stage cellist Robert Howard by performing the dazzling Passacaglia for Violin and Cello by Handel-Halvorsen, followed by a rarely performed quartet by the German romantic composer, Joseph Rheinberger. The instrumentation for oboe, viola, cello and piano is unique in the chamber music literature.

Rounding out the program will be the popular, passionate and dynamic quartet by Gabriel Faure for piano and strings. This blockbuster piece will please the seasoned and novice listener alike!

The Gold Coast Chamber Players, winners of the 2015 Arts and Culture Award for Contra Costa County, are known for their engaging and vibrant performances. Audiences have been responding with such enthusiasm that tickets are in great demand.

Ticket price includes complimentary champagne, a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., and a reception with the musicians following the performance. Tickets are available at www.gcplayers.org and by phone at (925) 283-3728. Limited seating, please reserve early. ###