CAMA announces its 2022-23 lineup at The Granada and Lobero Theatre
British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason will perform with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Oct. 10 to open the Community Arts Music Association’s 2022-23 season.
Expect everyone from the Chicago Symphony to the Juilliard String Quartet when the 104th season begins for the Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara.
“We are thrilled to be able to have a season with the firepower that we have, anchored by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony and three other interesting orchestras,” CAMA board member Stephen Cloud told the News-Press this week.
CAMA’s first full season since the start of the pandemic will begin Oct. 10 at The Granada with Britain’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla and featuring British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. (All of the concerts at The Granada are part of CAMA’s International Series.)
Mr. Kanneh-Mason became instantly famous after performing at the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. An estimated two billion people watched the broadcast of the wedding of the couple, who now live in Montecito.
And Mr. Cloud noted the City of Birmingham Symphony, which was founded in 1920, is known for its long history of great music. “We’re excited. It’s one of the major British orchestras, probably the most important one after the ones in London.”
Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, which is part of the Community Arts Music Association’s season.
CAMA will present the Juilliard String Quartet, which includes former UCSB music faculty member and violinist Ronald Copes, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at The Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. (All of CAMA’s concerts at the Lobero are part of the association’s Masterseries.)
In addition to Mr. Copes, the quartet is composed of violinist Areta Zhulla, violist Molly Carr and cellist Astrid Schween.
“It’s like a homecoming for Ron, and we’re always thrilled to have them,” Mr. Cloud said. “They will be playing the last Beethoven string quartet, one that Beethoven composed but never heard performed.”
The work is Beethoven’s Quartet No. 16, Opus 135.
Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony, which will perform in Santa Barbara during the 2022-23 season for the Community Arts Music Association. The concert is part of the association’s International Series at The Granada.
Mr. Copes will be back at UCSB when the quartet teaches a master class at 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Music Department.
Another local connection will be seen and heard on Dec. 7 when French pianist Helene Grimaud, who lives in Santa Ynez, performs at 7:30 p.m. at the Lobero. Mr. Cloud said she is among the finest master musicians in today’s international music scene.
Mr. Cloud is also excited about the Chicago Symphony returning to The Granada for a concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25. It’s directed by Riccardo Muti, and Mr. Cloud explained how the acclaimed orchestra fell into CAMA’s lap.
French pianist Helene Grimaud, who lives in Santa Ynez, will perform Dec. 7 at the Lobero Theatre as part of the Masterseries.
“We had a couple other concerts lined up for the upcoming season, each of which fell apart. One was a Russian orchestra, and it’s obvious why that went away,” Mr. Cloud said, referring to the tension resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Out of nowhere, we got a call from the Chicago Symphony, asking if we wanted them to play. We said, ‘Yes!’
“Every year, critics pick them as one of the top two, three or five orchestras in the world,” Mr. Cloud said. “Last time, they played here was five years ago. The time before that was in the 1960s.
“Riccardo Muti is arguably one of the last of the legendary conductors,” Mr. Cloud said.
The International Series continues at The Granada with the Filharmonie Brno, an orchestra from the Czech Republic, performing at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13.
The Juilliard String Quartet will perform Beethoven’s Quartet No. 16, Opus 135, as part of the Masterseries at the Lobero Theatre. The quartet includes violinist Ronald Copes, a former UCSB music faculty member.
“Dennis Russell Davies is one of the great American conductors,” Mr. Cloud said, noting the orchestra is new for Santa Barbara audiences.
The all-Czech program will include music by Dvorak.
The Masterseries will resume March 4 with Los Romeros, the Romero family’s guitar quartet, whose concert is part of the celebration of the Lobero Theatre’s 150th anniversary. (The theater was founded on Feb. 22, 1873.)
The concert will take place there at 7:30 p.m.
Gustavao Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which will perform May 28 as part of the International Series at The Granada.
Mr. Cloud explained that legendary Spanish guitarist Celedonio Romero left his native country in 1957 to escape the fascist regime of Francisco Franco. Mr. Romero and his family went to America, eventually settling in Santa Barbara, and Mr. Romero performed his solo U.S. recital debut in 1958 at the Lobero. That was followed at the Lobero with Mr. Romero performing with his sons Celin, Pepe and Angel in 1959 and 1961.
The quartet performing in March at the Lobero will consist of Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Celino Romero and Lito Romero.
“Now three generations of the Romero musical dynasty has come to be celebrated worldwide over the past six years by millions,” Mr. Cloud said.
Los Romeros, a family quartet, will perform a special concert March 4 to celebrate the Lobero Theatre’s 150th anniversary.
The CAMA board member said he’s looking forward to hearing acclaimed violin soloist Augustin Hadelich perform at 7:30 p.m. April 24 at the Lobero.
And the International Series at The Granada will feature the Curtis Symphony Orchestra (Curtis Institute of Music/Philadelphia) at 7:30 p.m. May 18.
The season will conclude with the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing at 7:30 p.m. May 28 at The Granada.
Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the orchestra, which will feature cello soloist Gabriel Cabezas.
The concert will feature two L.A. Phil-commissioned world premiere works — Ellen Reid’s “West Coast Sky Eternal” and Gabriella Smith’s “Lost Coast” Cello Concerto, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus 92.
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
The Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara’s 104th season will begin Oct. 10 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performing at The Granada, 1214 State St. That’s where all of the International Series concerts will take place.
The Masterseries concerts are all at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
For more information, go to camasb.org
