Multimedia concert and ballet "Carnival of the Animals" comes to Palo Alto March 1st

Oshman Family JCC presents a joyous day of music and family fun, featuring activities including animal mask-making and an instrument “petting zoo” to accompany the main attraction: a fanciful rendition of Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.”

With each movement representing different beasts of land, sea, and sky, this playful piece will be accompanied by a lively ballet performance and vibrant images to delight the whole family. Symphony Napa Valley Assistant Conductor Derek Tam will conduct two performances of “Carnival of the Animals,” featuring a string ensemble and two grand pianos.

This performance is presented in partnership with Bay Pointe Ballet. “Carnival of the Animals” will be presented at 10am and Noon, Sunday, March 1, 2015 at the Oshman Family JCC- Schultz Cultural Arts Hall, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto.

Trading lions for cellos and fish for violas, Conductor Derek Tam will bring to life a tuneful menagerie with this performance of “Carnival of the Animals.”

As a conductor, Mr. Tam appears frequently with choral and orchestral ensembles, serving as Assistant Conductor with Symphony Napa Valley.

As the assistant conductor of the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra (BCCO), a 210-voice ensemble, he works with the full chorus, conducts a 30-voice chamber ensemble, and rehearsed the chorus on their recent tour to Central Europe, the first in the group’s history. Mr. Tam was recently appointed Director of Music at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, and was formerly Artistic Director of Opus Q, a men’s vocal ensemble.

One of Camille Saint-Saens’ best-known works, “Carnival of the Animals” was first written in the wake of a failed concert tour of Germany. Embarrassed by his failure, Saint-Saens turned his sights on something more lighthearted and became immersed in writing this charming musical suite, declaring “mais c’est si amusant!” (“but this is such fun!”).

The choruses of wild creatures are infused with comedic allusions to more serious fare, running the gamut from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld to Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust. “Carnival of the Animals” premiered in 1886 at a private concert in Paris and has since become a favorite in children’s repertoire for both small ensembles and full string orchestras.

Bay Pointe Ballet choreographer and director Bruce Steivel will present an inventive new rendition of the accompanying ballet. Led by Steivel, Bay Pointe Ballet is a professional ballet company serving the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Each of the concerts will be followed by an animal mask-making workshop and a musical “petting zoo” that will allow children to learn more about each of the instruments.

For tickets ($15-$20) and more information visit www.paloaltojcc.org/carnivaloftheanimals or call (650) 223-8664.