St. John’s Concert Series 2008 SEASON EVENTS
ALL PERFORMANCES AT: ST. JOHN’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA TICKETS: $20 general / $10 students, available at the door, or in advance at The Musical Offering classical record shop and café, 2430 Bancroft Way, in Berkeley (near UCB campus). A reception in honor of the artist follows performance Parking is available
* Sunday, MARCH 30 at 4 pm SUSAN MATTHEWS, organ Bach, Dandrieu, Byrd, Mendelssohn, and Mozart	St. John’s is honored to welcome Dr. Susan Jane Matthews to open our 2008 concert series. One of the most distinguished organists in the United States, Dr. Matthews recently completed a four-year tenure as the Principal Organist at Grace Cathedral, and currently serves the Dean of the San Francisco Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. For our Spring Organ Recital, she performs J.S. Bach’s Concerto in D minor, BWV 596; works by Jean-François Dandrieu, William Byrd, Mendelssohn, and Mozart’s Fantasy in f minor, K.608.
* Sunday, APRIL 13 at 4 pm THE ITCHY MOUNTAIN MEN: Kickgrass!	The Itchy Mountain Men formed in 2005, when five high school sophomores began jamming as a garage band. But atypically, these teens soon created a new and unique style of music they call kickgrass, blending old time bluegrass, jazz, funk, rock and blues. The group’s work has since met with wild enthusiasm at numerous festival appearances, recognized as the “Best Emerging Band” at the Berkeley Old Time String Festival, and receiving the highest rankings at the prestigious 2007 Santa Cruz Jazz Festival.
* Sunday, May 4 at 4 pm JILLIAN KHUNER, soprano JONATHAN KHUNER, piano Berlioz, Schumann, Schubert, Puccini, and Moore	Soprano Jillian Khuner and conductor Jonathan Khuner, Berkeley’s most formidable musical couple, pair up for a rare recital appearance. Well known to Berkeley Opera audiences, the Khuners feast us with Berlioz’ ravishing song cycle Les nuits d'été, Op. 7; Schumann‘s Frauenliebe und -leben, Op. 42; and selected songs by Schubert. True to their operatic roots, these world-class artists round off the program with arias from Puccini’s Tosca and Manon Lescaut , as well as Douglas Moore’s Ballad of Baby Doe.
* Sunday, AUGUST 17 at 4 pm SAN FRANCISCO RENAISSANCE VOICES TODD JOLLY, artistic director Hildegard von Bingen: Ordo Virtutum	St. John’s new music director Todd Jolly brings us his critically-acclaimed vocal ensemble, the San Francisco Renaissance Voices, in an exciting program of music composed by Hildegard von Bingen, the visionary 12th-century nun. The ensemble performs Hildegard’s Ordo Virtutum (a morality play that is considered by many to be the first opera), as well as many other ethereal compositions. This unusual program will also feature performances on traditional Indian instruments (such as the dilruba, bansuri and dhadh), as well as Celtic harper Diana Rowan and KTVU newscaster John Sasaki as The Devil.
* Sunday, OCTOBER 19 at 4 pm LEON CHISHOLM, organ Baroque Inventions and Re-inventions	The extraordinarily gifted Canadian organist Leon Chisholm was appointed as St. John’s organist in 2006, and since then, St. John’s congregation has marveled at fresh originality he brings to both his interpretations and repertoire selections. On this solo recital performance, Leon juxtaposes modern pieces for the organ which have been inspired by a respective baroque piece. In following this theme, the program will include the premiere of a new commissioned piece by UC Berkeley composer Nils Bultmann.
* Sunday, DECEMBER 7 at 4 pm ELIZABETH BLUMENSTOCK, violin J.S. Bach: Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004	We are enormously proud to present violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, the distinguished concertmaster of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Internationally known for her superb technical mastery and thrilling, consummate artistry, Ms. Blumenstock performs J.S. Bach’s monumental Partita No. 2 in D minor, which culminates in the virtuosic Ciaccona -- widely regarded as one of the highest creative achievements in Western music.