2011 cultural events

This page lists 48 cultural events I attended in 2011. 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.

Highlights of 2011 to date:

And a couple lowlights, both involving the generally magnificent SF Symphony:


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
01/21/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
David Daniels, countertenor
Herbst San Francisco Program Telemann: Concerto for Three Horns and Violin
Vivaldi: Stabat Mater
Händel: Arias
Telemann: Suite in F Major 'Alster Overture'
01/26/11 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francicso Symphony David Robertson, conductor
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Davies San Francisco Program Dukas: Sorcerer's Apprentice
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Dorman: Uriah: The Man The King Wanted Dead
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 'Classical'
02/02/11 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Marek Janowski, conductor
Chee-Yun, violin
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Jeremy Denk, piano
Davies San Francisco Program Beethoven: Symphony No. 1
Beethoven: Triple Concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
02/07/11 @ 19:30 Chamber Earplay Mary Chun, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Harvey: String Trio
Crumb: Celestial Mechanics
Jolas: Ah! Haydn
Berger: Yaqira
02/11/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Gabriele Cassone, keyed trumpet
Herbst San Francisco Program Spohr: Symphony No. 2
Hummel: Concerto for Keyed Trumpet
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1
02/13/11 @ 15:00 Chamber Borodin Quartet Ruben Ahronian, violin
Andrei Abramenkov, violin
Igor Naidin, viola
Vladimir Balshin, cello
Herbst San Francisco Program Beethoven: String Quartet No. 8 'Razumovsky'
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8
02/17/11 @ 17:30 Concert San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Ben Simon, conductor Contemporary Jewish Museum San Francisco Program Stravinsky: Octet for winds
Cox: Cañon for wind octet
Sosin: Now or Never film score
02/27/11 @ 15:00 Concert Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Semyon Bychkov, conductor Zellerbach Berkeley Program Mahler: Symphony No. 6
03/03/11 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano
Davies San Francisco Program Hindemith: Concert Music for String Orchestra and Brass
Stenhammar: Song
Nielsen: Song
Grieg: Songs
Sibelius: Songs
Brahms: Serenade No. 1
03/04/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Zheng Cao, mezzo-soprano
Herbst San Francisco Program Rebel: Les Caractères de la danse
Händel: Scherza infida from Ariodante
Gluck: Selections from Orfeo ed Euridice
Stookey: Into the Bright Lights
Rameau: Les Indes galantes, orchestral suite
03/28/11 @ 19:30 Chamber Earplay Mary Chun, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Harvey: Tombeau de Messiaen
Cage: Six Melodies
Lou: Alluvium
Lin: Friction
Carter: Triple Duo
03/30/11 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Yundi, piano
Davies San Francisco Program Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
04/07/11 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Alexander Barantschik, violin
Davies San Francisco Program Larcher: Red and Green
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony
04/08/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Philharmonia Chorale
Dominique Labelle, soprano
Herbst San Francisco Program Haydn: The Creation
04/10/11 @ 15:00 Recital Laredo & Fleisher Jaime Laredo, violin
Leon Fleisher, piano
Herbst San Francisco Program Schubert: Sonatina No. 1 in D
Schubert: Sonatina No. 2 in a
Schubert: Sonatina No. 2 in g
Schubert: Grand Duo in A
04/12/11 @ 20:00 Recital Elisso Virsaladze Elisso Virsaladze, piano Herbst San Francisco Program Mozart: Fantasy in c
Mozart: Sonata in c
Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2
Chopin: Polonaise Fantasie
Schumann: Fantasie in C
04/28/11 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Peter Oundjian, conductor
Jonathan Biss, piano
Herbst San Francisco Program Rouse: The Infernal Machine
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 'Emperor'
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
05/09/11 @ 18:00 Reception Philip Glass Philip Glass, piano Private San Francisco Glass: Metamorphosis
Glass: Etude No. 10
05/10/11 @ 19:15 Sports SF Giants baseball Diamondbacks vs. Giants AT&T Park San Francisco
05/12/11 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Davies San Francisco Program Mahler: Symphony No. 6
05/22/11 @ 16:00 Chamber Noe Valley Chamber Music Holy Innocents San Francisco Program Thomas: Aria from Mignon
Massenet: Gavotte from Manon
Heggie: Facing Forward/Looking Back
Seiber: Margarite elle est malade
Chamorro: Quasi una malagueña
Brown: Practice your flamenco
Crumb: Little Suite for Chrismas
Wade: Minicabs
Mozart: Aria from Le Nozze di Figaro
06/01/11 @ 19:30 Chamber Earplay Mary Chun, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Neuwirth: Spleen
Harvey: Lotuses
Parra: Time Fields III
Roberts: Sinews
Campion: Musica
06/18/11 @ 20:00 Concert Ojai North! Dawn Upshaw, soprano
Gilbert Kalish, piano
red fish blue fish, percussion
Peter Sellars, director
Sakhi Ensemble
Farida Mawash, vocal
Homayoun Sakhi, rubab
Zellerbach Playhouse Berkeley Program Crumb: The Winds of Destiny
Music of Afghanistan
06/22/11 @ 19:15 Sports SF Giants baseball Twins vs. Giants AT&T Park San Francisco
06/23/11 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Davies San Francisco Program Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
07/10/11 @ 15:00 Concert PCO Scholarship Benefit Anne Saunders, soprano
Sue Hart, keyboard
Kim Manuel, bass
Keith Evans, guitar
Cahill's Arnold Program
07/22/11 @ 20:00 Theater A Flea in Her Ear Main St. Theater Works Kennedy Mine Jackson Program Feydeau: A Flea in Her Ear
07/23/11 @ 21:00 Rock Tour Guides Tour Guides Tommy's Backyard Camp Connell
08/08/11 @ 19:15 Sports SF Giants baseball Pirates vs. Giants AT&T Park San Francisco
08/12/11 @ 20:00 Theater Scapin Murphys Creek Theater Co. Munari Vineyards Murphys Program Molière: Scapin
08/23/11 @ 19:30 Theater Days and Nights Festival John Moran
Saori Tsukada
Hidden Valley Carmel Valley Program Moran: John Moran + Saori (... in Thailand)
09/15/11 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Davies San Francisco Program Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
Hindemith: Cello Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
09/17/11 @ 17:30 Indian Hindustani vocals Ritesh Mishra, vocal
Rajnish Mishra, vocal
Subhen Chatterjee, tabla
Sanatan Goswami, harmonium
Jain Temple Milpitas Khayals & bhajans
09/22/11 @ 19:00 Reception Noe Valley Chamber Music Ann Moss, soprano
Hillary Nordwell, piano
Private San Francisco Program Duke: Three Songs
Schumann: Liederkreis, Op. 39
Heggie: At the Statue of Venus
09/23/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
R. J. Kelley, horn
Herbst San Francisco Program Mozart: Symphony No. 38 'Prague'
Mozart: Concerto Pasticcio for horn
Beck: Overture from La mort d'Orpheé
Haydn: Symphony No. 98
09/29/11 @ 20:00 Concert San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Tal Rosner, video artist
Davies San Francisco Program Mozart: Symphony No. 35 'Haffner'
Adès: Polaris
Stravinsky: Petrushka
10/02/11 @ 16:30 Music & Conversation SF Contemporary Music Players Steven Schick, artistic director ODC Studio B San Francisco Program Adams, John Luther: Clouds of Forgetting, Clouds of Unknowing [excerpts]
10/03/11 @ 20:00 Chamber SF Contemporary Music Players Steven Schick, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Levine: Transparency (Part I)
Varèse: Octandre
Adams, John Luther: Clouds of Forgetting, Clouds of Unknowing
10/05/11 @ 10:00 Rehearsal San Francisco Symphony Vasily Petrenko, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
Davies San Francisco Program Shostakovich: Festive Overture
Tchaikovsky: Mèditation from Souvenir d'un lieu cher
Glazunov: Violin Concerto
Elgar: Symphony No. 1
10/07/11 @ 20:00 Indian Sitar recital Ravi Shankar, sitar
Tanmoy Bose, tabla
Ravichandra Kulur, flute
Samir Chatterjee, tabla
Davies San Francisco Program Evening ragas
10/09/11 @ 16:00 Chamber Noe Valley Chamber Music Karsten Windt, violin
David Kim, viola
Angela Lee, cello
Jeffrey Sykes, piano
Holy Innocents San Francisco Program Sarasate: Romanza Andaluza
de Falla: Suite Populaire Espagnole
Piazzolla: Tangos
Ginastera: Pampeana No. 2
Turina: Quartet Op. 67
10/30/11 @ 19:30 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Vivica Genaux, mezzo-soprano
First Congregational Berkeley Program Fasch: Concerto for two oboes, two flutes, and two bassoons
Vivaldi: Arias
Telemann: Concerto 'Sinfonia Spirituosa'
Porpora: Arias
Broschi: Aria
Rameau: Orchestral suite from La Guirlande
11/05/11 @ 19:30 Concert Turqoise Yantra Grotto Joe Lasqo, pianos & percussion
David Samas, vocals
Sung Kim, electronic fiddle
Dave Dupuis, mariners trumpet
Turquoise Yantra Grotto San Francisco
11/18/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Ottavio Dantone, conductor
Marion Verbruggen, recorder
Herbst San Francisco Program Corelli: Concerto Grosso, Op. 6 No. 2
Gregori: Concerto Grosso, Op. 2 No. 2
Geminiani: Concerto Grosso, Op. 3 No. 4
Vivaldi: Concerto for Alto Recorder 'La tempesta di mare'
Sammartini: Concerto for Soprano Recorder
Scarlatti, Alessandro: Concerto Grosso No. 4
Vivaldi: Concerto for strings
Corelli: Concerto Grosso, Op. 6 No. 4
11/19/11 @ 09:55 Opera broadcast Satyagraha Metropolitan Opera
Dante Anzolini, conductor
Century 20 Daly City Program Glass: Satyagraha
11/20/11 @ 19:30 Theater A Soldier's Tale Aurora Theater Aurora Berkeley Program Stravinsky: The Soldier's Tale
12/02/11 @ 20:00 Concert Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Nicholas McGegan, conductor Herbst San Francisco Program Bach: Mass in B Minor
12/07/11 @ 20:00 Concert Boston Symphony Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Richard Goode, piano
Elizabeth Rowe, flute
Davies San Francisco Program Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Carter: Flute Concerto
Bartók: Miraculous Mandarin Suite