A whimsical themed tea and concert in a secret Beverly Hills garden? Curious and curiouser!
Friday, Apr 11th, 2025 at 8 PM - West LA
Moroccan Room at The Village Studios (map)
Saturday, Apr 12th, 2025 at 8 PM - Pasadena
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music + Livestream (map)
Salastina’s artistic family consists of incredibly talented Resident Artists and Young Composers. This concert shines a spotlight on them all with soloistic works by Bloch, Mozart, and a premiere by 2024 Sounds Promising composer Luca Pasquini.
Complimentary wine reception with the artists to follow. More info on our venues and parking here.
General Admission $45; Students with ID $10; Livestream $10; Salastina Members (Friend-level and above) receive 20% discount; Free tickets for those directly affected by the January wildfires (limit 15)
6:30 PM - 7 PM: Early Access for Members at the Supporter+ Level on Friday 7 PM: Early Access for Members at the Supporter+ Level on Saturday
Program:
Ernest Bloch: Concertino for Flute, Viola, and Strings
Luca Pasquini: Haven (World Premiere) -Intermission-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for String Sextet
Artists:
Benjamin Smolen, Resident Flutist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Resident Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist Nico Valencia, Guest Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist Ted Botsford, Guest Bassist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Friday, March 7th, 2025 @ 8 PM - Orange County (map)
The Weinstein Performance Space at Chamber Music OC
If your soul could use a cathartic chakric cleanse, do not miss this hair-raising, spine-tingling, psyche-throttling musical rollercoaster. Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 and String Quartet No. 8 are his best-known and most electrifyingly recognizable chamber works. More than many of his other works, they grab you by the spiritual jugular and don’t let go. (And that’s saying a lot; IYKYK.)
Complimentary wine and hors-d’oeuvre reception with the artists to follow. More info on our venues and parking here.
Friday, March 7th, 6:30 - 7 PM: Early Access for Members at the Supporter + Level
Program:
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2
Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Chef Becky Brown, Experience Designer Mercedes Curran, and Salastina team up once more for the most opulent, decadent, nostalgic, immersive, and beautiful holiday event ever. The Da Camera Society again opens its doors to the stunning Doheny Mansion for the occasion.
Built in 1899, the Doheny Mansion’s Pompeian Room is replete with actual gilded details, colored marble floors, and a golden, ombre glass dome that is simply resplendent at midday. And naturally, it’ll be appropriately decked out for Christmas. Enjoy Becky’s 5-course gourmet holiday brunch while losing yourself in music composed when the venue was built.
The Yuletide Carolers musically greet you in Victorian garb. Come in costume yourself, if you wish!
NOTE: Ticket sales close FRIDAY AT NOON. Tickets are non-refundable. At checkout, you may choose either the standard or vegan menu. Substitutions politely declined.
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Resident Violinists
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist Linnea Powell, Guest Violist Cristina Montes Mateo, Guest Harpist
Menu: First course
Standard: Smoked trout rillettes on brioche, celery leaf salad
Miso Deviled eggs with cured ikaru
Vegan: Caramelized Marsala mushrooms, white bean puree, garlic confit
Second course Standard: Red oak salad, citrus vinaigrette, oro blanco, aged Gouda
Vegan: Red oak salad, citrus vinaigrette, oro blanco
Third course Standard: Scottish salmon, McGrath farms beet puree, brown butter, satsuma emulsion Vegan: roasted beet medley, satsuma emulsion, cashew cheese, walnuts
Fourth course: Standard: New Zealand lamb chops, celery root, medjool date chutney, toasted pepitas, mint Vegan: seared king oyster mushrooms, celery root puree, medjool date chutney, pepitas, fried sage
Fifth course: Standard: Pumpkin cheesecake, ginger cranberry jam, ginger snap crumble, chantilly cream
Vegan: Ginger cranberry sorbet with olive oil
Salastina proudly presents this performance in partnership with The Da Camera Society.
Begin your holiday season joyfully with a unique, bespoke wine and music experience supporting Salastina’s Vital Sounds Program.
Our colleague and friend Natalie Leggett, a beautiful violinist and wine expert, connects a sense of Home in music to that of terroir in wine. Each of our four wine and music pairings has a mutually-amplifying, beautiful story to savor. The musical program includes selections from Eric Whitacre's You Feel Like Home: Suite from The Sacred Veil, which Salastina premiered and recorded earlier this year, as well as “Going Home” From Antonin Dvorak’s beloved New World Symphony. Small plates will also be provided.
The Cellar in Old Town Pasadena is the perfect cozy, intimate spot to enjoy these inspired wine and music pairings.
All donations received through this event support Salastina's Vital Sounds Program. Vital Sounds provides free, virtual, one-on-one bedside concerts to critically ill patients at Huntington Health and UCLA Medical Center five days a week.
All proceeds benefit Salastina's Vital Sounds Program. Ticket costs are tax-deductible, less $246 per attendee, as allowed by law. If you attend with someone else, you’ll both qualify for a year of Digital Member Benefits.
Salastina thanks Board Member Dr. Nirav Kamdar for generously underwriting this event.
A few months ago, Salastina’s Resident Cellist Yoshika Masuda and Resident Pianist HyeJin Kim released Hidden Flame on Avie Records. The album contains music by Amy Beach, Clara Schumann, Rita Strohl, Nadia Boulanger, Maria Theresia Paradis, and a world-premiere by Reena Esmail. Yoshi described the album's purpose: “musicians and music lovers often feel confident that great works must already be a part of the standard repertoire. However, this album proves that there are hidden gems that deserve more recognition out there!" For this Happy Hour, audiences will be treated to Yoshi and HyeJin performing select works featured on the album live. Throughout, Co-Artistic Director Maia Jasper White hosts a conversation between Yoshi, HyeJin, and the audience about repertoire selection and the recording process as a whole.
Mimosa and pastry reception with the artists to follow.
Program:
Frédéric Chopin: Waltz in A minor (West Coast Premiere) Amy Beach: Romance Op. 23
Reena Esmail: one word makes a world
Rita Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata, "Titus et Bérénice"
Artists:
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
10 AM: Early Access for Members at the Supporter + Level
Inspired by a documentary, Salastina’s Resident Flutist Benjamin Smolen sought out and befriended Walter Arlen — an Austrian-born, gay Jewish composer who fled the Nazis, ultimately spending most of his life and career in Southern California.
Sadly, Ben did not have the chance to perform Walter’s music before the composer passed away last September at age 103.
Ben curates this posthumous celebration of the works and friendships of a man who continues to inspire him.
Mimosa and pastry reception with the artists to follow.
Program:
Walter Arlen: Monotypes
Roy Harris: American Ballads
Hector Villa Lobos: Jet Whistle
Carlos Chavez: Lento from String Quartet No. 3
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Ein Quartett-Satz on the Name of Walter Arlen
Walter Arlen: Sonnett for Violin and Piano
Artists:
Benjamin Smolen, Resident Flutist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Resident Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
10 AM: Early Access for Members at the Supporter + Level
Few musicians possess the cojones and humility to perform music blind. And by “blind,” we do NOT mean sightreading; the musicians have practiced and rehearsed!
Rather, we mean the musicians don’t know what they’re playing. Not the composer, the piece title, when and where it was written… nada.
Sounds Mysterious is a musical scavenger hunt in which the musicians and audience solve those mysteries together.
This time, all of Salastina’s Resident Artists have chosen a short piece to stump everyone else in the ensemble.
The music our Resident Artists have chosen is readily accessible, consummately listenable, and delightfully unexpected. We can't be more specific about the repertoire. But we can promise:
laughter, collegiality, and plenty of razzing amongst the musicians
ample opportunities to hear audience members’ intuitions and insights -- and share your own
the joy of musical discovery
Mimosa and pastry reception with the artists to follow.
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Resident Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Benjamin Smolen, Resident Flutist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Program:
Mystery Work for Flute, Violin, and Piano, chosen by Benjamin Smolen (Nino Rota Trio - I. Allegro non troppo)
Mystery Work for Flute, Violin, and Piano, chosen by HyeJin Kim (Mel Bonis Suite en trio, Op. 59 II. Pastorale)
Mystery Work for Violin and Viola, chosen by Brian Lauritzen (Courtney Bryan And What I Mean is This)
Mystery Work for Violin and Piano, chosen by Yoshika Masuda (Rita Strohl, Solitude)
Mystery Work for Cello and Piano, chosen by Maia Jasper White (Leone Sinigaglia 2 Stücke, Op. 16: II. Humoreske)
Mystery Work for Piano Trio, chosen by Meredith Crawford (Ludwig Philipp Schawenka Piano Trio No. 1 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 100: II. Allegro)
Mystery Work for Piano Quintet, chosen by Kevin Kumar (Jean Cras Piano Quintet: II. Calme et paisible)
Play with the pros in Co-Artistic Director Maia Jasper White’s living room.
Salastina’s roster of Resident Artists will play through any piece of your choosing with you, allowing for instrumentation. (Our forces: string quartet, piano, and flute.) Simply let us know what you’d like to play no later than three days before the event to give us time to locate the sheet music.
This event is free for Members. Non-members must become Members for the year to participate. Membership begins at $20/month and is fully tax-deductible.
Music, wine, food, wine, good company, wine, a beautiful natural setting… and also wine. Savor worlds Old and New at this first-of-its-kind exclusive weekend away with Salastina.
Ticket sales for the full weekend package and day trips are now closed.
Our friend and colleague Natalie Leggett, a wonderful violinist — and winner of the 2022 California Wine Institute Award — hosts private tastings for us with her winemaker friends at Dragonette and Holus Bolus.
Walk to Fess Parker Wine Country Inn for dinner at its in-house restaurant, Nella — plus a private performance with Salastina musicians.
At eleven, a bus takes us from Fess Parker Wine Country Inn to Brander Château Estate for a private wine tasting. While there, we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch from Coast Range — and visit Brander’s unique Folk Art Museum, including a concert in the Barrel Vault next door.
We’ll head back to Fess Parker to rest for an hour or so.
At 4:00, hop back on the bus to Lumen’s Warner Henry Vineyard for an exclusive winemaker tour with Will Henry.
At the conclusion of the tour, we’ll enjoy dinner at Lumen’s fabulous Pico Restaurant in charming Los Alamos.
Head to Roblar Winery for the area’s best brunch under the big oak tree.
Check out of Fess Parker and meet us in Solvang for a farewell concert at the historic Old Mission Santa Ines.
Q: Do I have to drive myself anywhere?
A: We are renting a bus on Saturday, June 22 only. If you have purchased the complete weekend package, you are responsible for getting yourself to Los Olivos on Friday, June 21. Upon arrival that day, driving anywhere else will not be necessary. You are also responsible for driving yourself to Sunday’s activities and back to Los Angeles.
Q: How much walking will be involved?
A: On Friday, the tasting rooms are just around the corner from our hotel — only 0.1 miles away. The winemaker tour at Lumen will involve some light walking (a maximum of half a mile).
Q: What can I do with the downtime on Saturday?
A: You can book a massage or spa treatment at Fess Parker at your own expense, or explore the charming town of Los Olivos, its shopping, and tasting rooms freely. This is your time to relax and indulge in the local offerings in your own way and at your own pace.
Q: Is there a Member discount?
A: No. Our 20% Member discount applies only to Main Series and Happy Hour concerts.
Q: Are tickets refundable?
A: No. We are on the hook for the hotel and several meals 90 days before the trip. If you cancel and we can’t resell, we are short those funds. If you buy tickets and are ultimately unable to attend, the full value of your ticket(s) will be turned into a fully tax-deductible donation—with all the applicable Member benefits.
Q: Is the trip tax-deductible?
A: Those who purchased the full weekend package receive a $500 tax deduction and the corresponding Friend-Level Member Benefits. Those purchasing each day’s activities receive a $240 tax deduction and the corresponding Digital-Level Member Benefits. The rest of the ticket price is is not tax-deductible, as plenty of goods and services will be exchanged throughout the weekend.
Sounds Mysterious is a game in which Brian assigns us a piece of music that none of us recognize. He even redacts the composer’s name. We rehearse it, perform it, and attempt to guess the composer along with you. The delight of surprise and interactive “whodunnit” guessing game make for an engaging spin on the live concert experience.
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
Salastina’s contribution to the statewide California Festival of contemporary classical music is in partnership with Leela Dance Collective, a Hindustani Kathak dance company. Encounters With Beauty is a world-premiere piece of choreography set to music by our dear friends and LA-based composers Derrick Skye and Reena Esmail. Drinks reception, replete with Indian munchies, to follow.
What to Know Before You Go at the Edye Second Space
Artists:
Saavani Thigale, Hindustani vocalist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
Derrick Skye, Composer
Leela Dance Collective
Rukhmani Mehta and Seibi Lee, Co-Artistic Directors and Dancers
Rachna Nivas, Dancer
Joanna Meinl, Dancer
Sonali Toppur, Dancer
Ahana Mukherjee, Dancer
Carrie Jennings, Dancer
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
Friday, September 29, 2023 @ 8 PM - West LA
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, September 30, 2023 @ 8 PM - Pasadena
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
Our multi-year cycle of the complete works of Dmitri Shostakovich – otherwise known as the BFF of Mieczysław Weinberg – continues with his first and ninth string quartets and his Sonata for Viola and Piano. Wine and munchies reception to follow.
Program:
Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147
String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49
String Quartet No. 9 in E flat Major, Op. 117
Artists:
Maia Jasper White and Kevin Kumar, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Jennifer Miller Hammel, Guest Host
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
Salastina’s Resident Flutist Benjamin Smolen guides us through the flute works of Shostakovich’s BFF, Mieczysław Weinberg, a composer with whom he became enamored while studying in Moscow. Mimosa and pastry reception to follow.
Program:
Mieczysław Weinberg: 12 Miniatures for Flute and Strings
Mieczysław Weinberg: Flute Concerto No. 1, Op. 75
Artists:
Ben Smolen, Resident Flutist and Soloist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
Ted Botsford, Guest Bassist
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
Composed during an incredibly difficult period of converging crises in Mahler’s life, this piece — based on classical Chinese poetry — is about the beauty and transience of life. It’s sublimation at its finest.
Arnold Schoenberg, of all people, arranged what Leonard Bernstein called Mahler’s “greatest symphony” for chamber ensemble. Specifically: 2 singers, string quintet, piano, winds, percussion… and no conductor (because #chambermusic, duh).
Do not miss this one-night-only performance at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. To get in the mood before dinner, you are welcome to wander the Huntington’s grounds from 3:00 - 5:00 PM free with your concert ticket purchase.
From 5:00 - 7:30 PM, you may either bring your own picnic dinner to enjoy at the tables at the inside entrance of the Huntington OR enjoy dinner out in nearby San Marino, South Pasadena, or Pasadena proper.
Pre-concert drinks and post-concert wine and hors-d’oeuvres reception.
Program:
Gustav Mahler, arranged by Arnold Schoenberg and Rainer Reihn: Das Lied von der Erde
Artists:
Clara Osowski, Mezzo Soprano
Thomas Cooley, Tenor
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
Ted Botsford, Double Bassist
Ben Smolen, Resident Flutist/Piccolo player
Lara Wickes, Guest Oboist/English Horn player
Don Foster, Guest Clarinetist
Alex Rosales Garcia, Guest Bassoonist
Dylan Skye Hart, Guest French Horn player
Micah Yui, Guest Pianist
John Sawoski, Guest Keyboardist
Eddie Meneses and Jonathan Wisner, Guest Percussionists
Camilla Tassi, Projection Designer
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
Get a sneak peek of the NHSQ’s 2023 Summer Festival. This year’s focus: early 20th Century French music. How do they say… le sigh?
The members of this quartet are all dear friends and colleagues from LA’s recording studios. And they are beasts of musicians. After a little conversation and a performance of some of their festival repertoire, we’ll sightread some electrifying octet music together. And as with all of our Happy Hours this season: enjoy music, mingling, mimosas, and munchies.
Salastina Members may watch live for free in our Members-Only Lounge. Non-Members may purchase tickets below.
Who is the Stradivarius of our time? Mario Miralles is one answer. His instruments are coveted by string players worldwide; you’ve heard them on all the world’s major stages. And his waiting list is miles long.
A wildly generous anonymous donor commissioned Mario to build a violin, viola, and cello for Salastina’s Resident Artists’ use. This is a gift beyond any of our wildest dreams, and the process has been riveting.
Yoshi’s cello is already finished; if you’ve been to any of our concerts this season, you’ve heard it! By the time of this event, Maia’s violin will be finished, and Meredith’s viola will be gestating. (If you’re wondering about Kevin: he already owns one, having purchased it several years ago.)
This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear about the different stages of a luthier’s process. The musicians for whom he’s building the instruments will speak to what the process is like from their perspective, and what they’re looking for in an instrument. Mario, a notoriously private figure, can then address how he translates those abstract artistic wishes into physical reality. And of course… you’ll hear them!
Friday, April 28 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, April 29 @ 8 PM
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
Say Salastinaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah as we envelop you in a stunning musical playlist specifically designed to bring on a healing ugly cry. Reception to follow.
Program:
Arvo Pärt: Spiegel Im Spiegel
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Quinteto Instrumental - II. Lento
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings
Ernest Chausson: Piano Quartet - II. Très calme
William Grant Still: Summerland
Aaron Copland: Midsummer Nocturne
Clara Schumann: Piano Trio - III. Andante
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet Opus 59 No. 2 - II. Molto Adagio. Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Benjamin Smolen, Resident Flutist
Cristina Montes Mateo, Guest Harpist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Friday, March 24 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, March 25 @ 8 PM
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
When your Resident Artists are this good, you owe it to everyone to shine a giant spotlight on them once in a while. Meredith’s luscious tone and keen sense of beauty shine in Vaughan Williams’ Suite for Viola. And Schumann’s Cello Concerto, arranged for chamber ensemble, has been on Yoshi’s wishlist for years. Who needs orchestral accompaniment when your chamber music friends have your back?
Complimentary wine to be served beginning at 7:30 PM for both performances. Wine reception resumes after the performance with the addition of munchies.
For venue info and more, click What To Know Before You Go!
Program:
Paul Hindemith: Trauermusik
Henri Casadesus: Concerto in the style of J.C. Bach
Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, Opus 129
Artists:
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Jonathan Moerschel, Guest Violist
Ross Gasworth, Guest Cellist
Stephanie Payne, Guest Bassist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
24/7 family time got you missing Zoom yet? If so, we're here to provide you with the perfect excuse to escape into cyberspace.
Cozy up with us from the comfort of your couch for a watch party and discussion of the Oscar-bait film TÁR.
TÁR is a 2022 psychological drama starring Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár, a renowned composer-conductor. The subject of the film: her life and downfall.
Our musicians have LOTS of thoughts on how accurately (or not) the film portrayed both the psychology of classical musicians and classical music culture in general. This is an opportunity to share your own thoughts -- and ask us anything. Examples:
"are all conductors that crazy?"
"would something like that really ever happen at Juilliard, or in any educational setting?"
"is that how artists 'get the gig' in the real world?"
"how has #metoo played out, and how does it continue to play out, in the field of classical music?"
We are prepared to share war stories!
Join us for the chat having seen the film -- or not, if you don't mind big-time spoilers. If you haven't seen it yet, you're welcome to either watch it ahead of time on your own OR join our Amazon Prime Watch Party.
Here is a link that includes all the ways you can watch the film ahead of time. It is currently $19.99 to watch on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
We invite Amazon Prime members to watch in real-time together by joining our Amazon Prime watch party. Here's how:
First, purchase the film on Amazon Prime for $19.99; we recommend doing this ahead of time
To join the watch party, you must be logged in to your Amazon Prime account
The watch party will begin at 6 PM PT
If you'd like to join the watch party from your laptop, simply click here
If you'd like to watch on your TV, you can watch in either the Prime Video App or Firestick. Click "My Stuff," scroll down to "Watch Party" (the last option available), and enter the code 25115516
There is no cost to join us for the chat on Zoom at 8:30 PM PT.
Friday, October 14 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, October 15 @ 8 PM
The Loft at the Pasadena Playhouse (map)
+ Livestream
We’d planned on starting a multi-year cycle of the complete chamber works of Dmitri Shostakovich back in March of 2020. This intense music is all the more cathartic now in light of not only the ongoing war in Ukraine, but also the broader political and existential fatigue in which we all find ourselves. Explore three of Shostakovich’s seminal works with us, written at the beginning, middle, and end of his life.
Reception to follow.
Special thanks to the Henry Family at Lumen Wines for generously donating wine for all Pasadena receptions.
Program:
String Quartet No. 11, Opus 122 (age 60)
Piano Trio No. 1, Opus 8 (age 16)
Piano Quintet in g minor, Opus 57 (age 34)
Runtime 90 minutes, no intermission
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors & Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshida Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Calling all Amateur Instrumentalists Intermediate-level and above!
Want to experience the thrill of playing alongside Salastina's Resident Artists and Co-Artistic Directors in an intimate, private, casual setting? Join us for a chamber music reading party at a private home near the Segerstrom Center in Santa Ana.
Bring any music you'd like to play with us. We'd recommend piano and string trios by Beethoven, quartets by Haydn and Mozart, and anything else you feel comfortable and confident playing through with us -- and in front of those gathered for the occasion.
Because space is limited, priority will be given to Salastina Members. The exact address will be given to attendees 24 hours before the event.
There is no cost to attend. RSVP by September 8th. Be sure to include your instrument, approximate skill level, the info on any pieces you’d like to play, and the number of guests in your party.
Open up CMLA's Music Box and enjoy a whistle-stop journey through chamber music! Our carefully-curated 75-minute program, spanning from the Baroque to the modern era, is below.
SALASTINA
Claude Debussy: Syrinx
Max Reger: Three Duos, Opus 131b No. 2 - II. Poco Allegro
Georg Philipp Telemann: Canonic Sonata No. 2 in D major I. Spirituoso - II. Larghetto - III. Allegro assai
Artists:
Benjamin Smolen, flute
Maia Jasper White, violin
COLBURN SCHOOL
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor Op. 8
Artists:
The Olive Trio, Gold Medalists at the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition
Anaïs Feller, violin
Mira Kardan, cello
Daniel Wang, piano
JACARANDA MUSIC
Valentin Silvestrov: The Messenger
Artist: Steven Vanhauwaert, piano
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Caroline Shaw: Plan & Elevation: The Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks; II. The Cutting Garden
Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F; I. Allegro moderato. Très doux
Artists:
Margaret Batjer, violin
Susan Rishik, violin
Yura Lee, viola
Trevor Handy, cello
CAMERATA PACIFICA
Maurice Ravel: La Valse
Artist: Soyeon Kate Lee, piano
PITTANCE CHAMBER MUSIC
Franz Schubert: Shepherd on the Rock
Artists:
Liv Redpath, soprano
Stuart Clark, clarinet
Jeremy Frank, piano
Masks must be worn inside all buildings on the Colburn campus. Full safety protocols are available here.
Join us every Tuesday for Salastina’s Happy Hour: bringing you free, live musical performance, spirited conversation, and interaction with musicians and fellow music lovers.
Steve Hackman is a daring voice leading the charge among a new generation of classical musicians intent on redefining the genre. Equally adept in classical and popular forms, his breadth of musical fluency and technique is uncanny—he is at once a composer, conductor, producer, DJ, arranger, songwriter, singer, and pianist. He uses those wide-ranging abilities to create hybrid compositions that blur the lines between high and pop art.
The result is evocative works that are both derivative yet wholly original. He synthesizes Brahms and Radiohead, Bartók and Björk, and Beethoven and Coldplay into epic orchestral tone poems; re-imagines Stravinsky and Shostakovich into original orchestral-electronic concept albums; and samples Verdi and Debussy and interpolates them into hip-hop tracks.
In December 2020, Hackman collaborated with Kanye West, the Sunday Service Choir and Access Opera in their production of the opera Mary.
Join us every Tuesday for Salastina’s Happy Hour: bringing you free, live musical performance, spirited conversation, and interaction with musicians and fellow music lovers.
Dr. Molly Miller "slings the guitar like a wordsmith, wry and sarcastic with a playful slant" (Michael James Adam, Guitar). She’s one of Los Angeles’s most sought-after musicians, recording and touring with artists such as Jason Mraz, Black Eyed Peas, Donna Missal, and Morgxn, at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, Coachella, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Soon after earning her Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Southern California in 2016, she became the chair of the Guitar Department at Los Angeles College of Music, a position she still holds. When Molly'd not on tour, running a guitar department, or in the studio, she heads her own trio, Molly Miller Trio, showcased on NPR’s Fresh Air.
Join us every Tuesday for Salastina’s Happy Hour: bringing you free, live musical performance, spirited conversation, and interaction with musicians and fellow music lovers.
Before sharing the work of our current crop of Sounds Promising Young Composers May 31 and June 14, we check in with a distinguished alum of the program: Sakari Dixon Vanderveer. A member of the New Music USA Program Council and a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Composer Teaching Artist Fellow, Sakari's desire to empower youth also remains a catalyst behind much of her work.
She recently founded the You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop, a personalized, online intensive program for students ages 10-18 who are new to composing. Sakari’s aim is that children from all walks of life will gain access to contemporary music and composition, allowing them to develop a better appreciation and understanding of concert music – new and old – so that they, too, can cherish it and engage with it throughout their entire lives.
Join us for our 100th Happy Hour, in which we’ll share exciting plans for Salastina’s future — and seek your input!
Join us every Tuesday for Salastina’s Happy Hour: bringing you free, live musical performance, spirited conversation, and interaction with musicians and fellow music lovers.
Claire Brazeau is the principal oboist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. An omnivorous musician, Claire can be heard performing period instruments with the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra followed by a concert of world premieres with new music collective Wild Up, of which she is a member. In addition to her concert season, Claire is an active freelance studio musician who has recorded for several film and TV soundtrack recordings. Find her @oboejones for hot tips and tricks for the oboe, as well as upcoming performances.
The phrase “Here Be Dragons” means “dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist.”
Join us for music reflecting a poetic idea that’s been very front-of-mind for us all.
Program:
Mikhail Gnessin: Songs of a Knight Errant
Yun Isang: Oboe Quartet - Part II
Joaquin Turina: I. Las cuevas del Dragón
Carolina Eyck: Fantasias for String Quartet and Theremin - III. Sleepy Dragon and IV. Jumping River
Intermission
Salvador Brotons: Allegro Spiritoso
Derrick Skye: Old Soul, Different Body (world premiere)
Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 for Piano Trio - IV. Allegro Molto
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Cristina Montes Mateo, harpist
Ben Brogadir, oboe
Steve Bryson, theremin player
Derrick Skye, electronics player
Brian Lauritzen, host
The phrase “Here Be Dragons” means “dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist.”
Join us for music reflecting a poetic idea that’s been very front-of-mind for us all.
Program:
Mikhail Gnessin: Songs of a Knight Errant
Yun Isang: Oboe Quartet - Part II
Joaquin Turina: I. Las cuevas del Dragón
Carolina Eyck: Fantasias for String Quartet and Theremin - III. Sleepy Dragon and IV. Jumping River
Intermission
Salvador Brotons: Allegro Spiritoso
Derrick Skye: Old Soul, Different Body (world premiere)
Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 for Piano Trio - IV. Allegro Molto
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Cristina Montes Mateo, harpist
Ben Brogadir, oboe
Steve Bryson, theremin player
Derrick Skye, electronics player
Brian Lauritzen, host
The phrase “Here Be Dragons” means “dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist.”
Join us for music reflecting a poetic idea that’s been very front-of-mind for us all.
Program:
Mikhail Gnessin: Songs of a Knight Errant
Yun Isang: Oboe Quartet - Part II
Joaquin Turina: I. Las cuevas del Dragón
Carolina Eyck: Fantasias for String Quartet and Theremin - III. Sleepy Dragon and IV. Jumping River
Intermission
Salvador Brotons: Allegro Spiritoso
Derrick Skye: Old Soul, Different Body (world premiere)
Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 for Piano Trio - IV. Allegro Molto
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Cristina Montes Mateo, harpist
Ben Brogadir, oboe
Steve Bryson, theremin player
Derrick Skye, electronics player
Brian Lauritzen, host
All sales are final. Programs, artists, prices, and dates subject to change.
Donations are deductible to the full extent of the law. Salastina is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Tax ID 83-4248512.
To donate by mail, please make your check to "Salastina", and mail to:
Salastina
PO Box 4164
Glendale, CA 91222
