2009 cultural events

This page lists 44 cultural events I attended in 2009. Movies are listed on my films page, not here. The program index page displays thumbnails of all the printed program images. Cities are in California, except as noted.

I started keeping event data in the format used by this page in 2010, so I reconstructed the event data below from old calendar data and filed hard copies of printed programs. I have not yet scanned the printed programs for these events.

Looking back on this year three years later (in February 2012), three extraordinary performances jump out at me:

And one lowlight:


I started keeping event data in the format used by this page in 2010, so data from 2010 to date is accurate. I started keeping appointment calendar data in .txt format in August 2005. I later extracted 2005-2009 event data ex post facto, so data for 2005 to 2009 is less complete and a bit less accurate. I have older pocket calendars and hard copies of event programs going back to 1963, but I have not yet scanned programs for years before 2010 or entered event data for most years before 2005.

See also: 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1971 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 All

Click on a heading below to sort the list accordingly. Click on a Program link to see the printed program for an event. Enter a search string (e.g., "Mahler", "Berkeley", "piano") below to filter the output.


Date Category Description Performers Venue City Works
01/07/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Davies San Francisco Copland: Music from Our Town
Berg: Three Pieces
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
01/17/09 @ 20:00 Theater My Children! My Africa! Marin Theater Company MTC Mill Valley Fugard: My Children! My Africa!
01/24/09 @ 17:30 Indian Hindustani vocal Shubshangi Sakhalkar, vocals Jain Temple Milpitas
01/25/09 @ 16:00 Recital William Wellborn William Wellborn, piano Old First Church San Francisco Haydn: Piano Sonata Hob. XVI:52
Mendelssohn: Fantasy
Haydn: Piano Sonata Hob. XVI:2020
Mendelssohn: Venetian Goldolier Song
Mendelssohn: Two Piano Pieces
Mendelssohn: Rondo Capriccioso
02/04/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony David Robinson, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano
Davies San Francisco Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2
Sibelius: En Saga
Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy
02/05/09 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor Herbst San Francisco Mendelssohn: The Hebrides
Mendelssohn: Scherzo from Octet
Mendelssohn: Three motets
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream
02/06/09 @ 20:00 Concert Festinger 60th Retropsective Afiara String Quartet
Adorno Ensemble
SFSU San Francisco Festinger: Peripeteia
Festinger: Legerdemain
Festinger: A Serenade for Six
Festinger: String Quartet No. 2 'From the Beginning'
Festinger: Insect Voices
02/08/09 @ 15:00 Concert San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Benjamin Simon, conductor
Dimitri Ashkenazy, clarinet
Berkeley Bach, J. C.: Cembalo Concerto
Festinger: Equinox
Mahler: Adagietto
Copland: Concerto for string orchestra
02/17/09 @ 20:00 Concert Hilliard Ensemble Herbst San Francisco
02/18/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Kurt Masur, conductor Davies San Francisco Gubaidulina: The Light of the End
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
02/26/09 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
Davies San Francisco Prokofiev: American Overture
Gubaidulina: In tempus praesens
Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales
Ravel: La Valse
02/27/09 @ 20:00 Theater A Delicate Balance Custom Made Theater Co. San Francisco Albee: A Delicate Balance
03/02/09 @ 19:30 Chamber Earplay Mary Chun, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Hosokawa: Vertical Time Study III
Lin: Friction
Imbrie: To a Traveler
Hills: Line Study
Carter: Cello Sonata
03/06/09 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Martha Argerich, piano
Davies San Francisco Gabrieli: In eccelsiis
Ligeti: Requiem
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Liszt: Tasso: Lamento e Triofo
03/12/09 @ 20:30 Recital Evgeny Kissin Evgeny Kissin, piano Herbst San Francisco Prokofiev: Three pieces from Romeo and Juliet
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 8
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasie
Chopin: Mazurkas
Chopin: Etudes
03/26/09 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Yevgeny Sudbin, piano
Davies San Francisco Gerber: Music in Dark Times
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
Walton: Belshazzar's Feast
03/27/09 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin/leader Herbst San Francisco Varacini: Overture
Dall'Abaco: Concerto
Vivaldi: Concerto
Marais: Têmpete
Rameau: Deux Airs
Rebel: Ramage 'L'air'
Rameau: Pieces
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
Telemann: Overture
03/29/09 @ 15:00 Chamber Kalichstein/Laredo/Robinson Jaime Laredo, violin
Sharon Robinson, cello
Joseph Kallichstein, piano
Herbst San Francisco Beethoven: Alegretto
Shostakovich: Trio No. 2
Beethoven: Piano Trio 'Archduke'
04/01/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony James Gaffigan, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Davies San Francisco Haydn: Symphony No. 52
Adès: Violin Concerto
Mozart: Symphony No. 39
04/11/09 @ 20:00 Indian Santoor & tabla Zakir Hussain, tabla
Shivkumar Sharma, santoor
Marin Center San Rafael
04/19/09 @ 19:00 Chamber Emerson Quartet Emerson Quartet Herbst San Francisco Mozart: String Quartert K. 589
Beethoven: String Quartert Op. 95
Webern: Bagatelles
Ravel: String Quartet
04/22/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor Davies San Francisco Bizet: Music from L'Arlésienne
Poulenc: Organ Concerto
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4
04/24/09 @ 19:30 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor Herbst San Francisco Handel: Athalia
04/25/09 @ 20:00 Recital Nelson Freire Nelson Freire, piano Herbst San Francisco Schumann: Papillon
Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 2
Chopin: Barcarolle
Chopin: Mazurkas
Chopin: Scherzo
Debussy: Preludes, Book 1
Villa-Lobos: Alma Brasileira
Villa-Lobos: Dança do Índio Branco
05/07/09 @ 18:00 Reception Matt Kahn SF Museum of Craft+Design San Francisco
05/16/09 @ 20:00 Concert Santa Rosa Symphony Bruno Ferrandis, conductor
Mary Chun, ondes martenot
Santa Rosa Wagner: Nachtgesang from Tristan und Isolde
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Messiaen: Three Tâlas from Turangalila-symphonie
05/20/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
Davies San Francisco Bates: The B-Sides
Sibelius: Symphony No. 4
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
05/20/09 @ 19:30 Chamber Earplay Mary Chun, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Carter: Con Leggerezza Pensosa
Tzortzis: Amenable
Messiaen: Cantéyodjayâ
Harvey: Nataraja
Bouchard: Systematic Survival
06/04/09 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Davies San Francisco Schubert: Rondo for violin
Berg: Altenberg Lieder
Berg: Rondo from Lulu Suite
Berg: Piano Sonata
Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen
Berg: Lulu Suite
06/05/09 @ 20:00 Opera Tosca San Francisco Opera
Marco Armiliato, conductor
AT&T Park San Francisco Puccini: Tosca
06/12/09 @ 19:00 Recital Star Dance Studio Star Dance Studio Herbst San Francisco
09/10/09 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Steven Isserlis, cello
Herbst San Francisco Haydn: Symphony No. 101 'Clock'
Haydn: Cello concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
09/24/09 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Davies San Francisco Mahler: Symphony No. 3, 3rd movement
Donizetti-Mariani: Funeral march from Dom Sébastien
Mahler: Symphony No. 1, 3rd movement
Mahler: Symphony No. 7, scherzo
Mahler: Symphony No. 9, rondo burleske
09/25/09 @ 10:30 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Davies San Francisco Mahler: Symphony No. 1
10/03/09 @ 17:30 Indian Slide guitar Debashish Bhattacharya, slide guitar Jain Temple Milpitas
10/14/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Itzhak Perlman, leader/violin Davies San Francisco Bach: Violin Concerto No. 2
Elgar: Introduction and Allegro
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 'Pathétique
10/16/09 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Elizabeth Wallfisch, violin/leader Herbst San Francisco Muffat: Fasciculus VIII
Telemann: Concerto for two violins and bassoon
Biber: Serenada à 5
Telemann: Sonata for four violins
Muffat: Fasciculus I
Schmelzer: Balleto à 4
Biber: Battalia
Bach: Violin Concerto No. 2
10/20/09 @ 18:00 Reception Peter Sellars Earplay Forest Hill San Francisco Program Kraft: Vintage Renaissance and Beyond
10/22/09 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Antti Siirala, piano
Davies San Francisco Adams: Slonimsky's Earbox
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Dvorak: Symphony No. 7
10/28/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Vadim Repin, violin
Davies San Francisco Sallinen: Symphony No. 1
Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
11/05/09 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano
Herbst San Francisco Purcell: Songs
Purcell: Suite from Abdelazer
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
11/18/09 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Alexander Barantschik, violin/conductor
Robin McKee, flute
Robin Sutherland, harpsichord
Davies San Francisco Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 1
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Bach, J. C.: Symphony
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
12/11/09 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin/leader Herbst San Francisco Vivaldi: Magnificat
Torelli: Concerto Grosso 'Christmas Concerto'
Vivaldi: Credo in unum Deum
Vivaldi: Concerto for violin 'Winter'
Sammartini: Concerto Grosso 'Christmas Concerto'
Vivaldi: Gloria
12/18/09 Film That Which Colors the Mind Sangati Center San Francisco