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SFIAF will feature at least 20 full-length music concerts in May as part of the 2024 Festival. It is a varied and versatile program including classical music from various cultures as well as new and experimental forms.
Here is a sample of eight of them listed A - Z.
Ancient Future (Community Music Center, Friday, May 10)
The world/fusion music ensemble, Ancient Future will present Sympathetic Serenade. Performed by composer, Matthew Montfort with guitarist, Teja Gerken, this original composition is an improvisation in the Phrygian mode with some influences from the music of Spain and in places employs a pentatonic subset of the Phrygian mode that is known as pelog in Indonesian music.
Amelia Romano Trio (Red Poppy Art House, Saturday May 11)
Amelia Romano and her classical ensemble will present Symphonic Sketches, a three-piece symphony performance combining contemporary and classical music in celebration of the lever harp originally composed in 2023.
Greek Chamber Music Project (Community Music Center, Saturday May 11)
The Greek Chamber Music Project presents Uproot, a powerful program of Greek songs from Asia Minor. Including modern arrangements of Greek music from the region, celebrating this vibrant musical heritage and capturing the refugee experience through song. Uproot weaves histories and personal stories throughout, generating a universal dialogue about the impact of forced migration and building a bridge to the experience of modern-day refugees.
Melody of China (Community Music Center, Sunday May 5)
Melody of China will present the world premiere of the music from The Enchantment of Dance by composer Phil Young. Originally inspired by Chinese classical dance forms, the piece will feature a blend of Eastern and Western music (yangqin, erhu, pipa, dizi, cello and drum) and was inspired by the inner charm and strength of dance.
Music In-Takht (Red Poppy Art House, Saturday May 4)
An instrumental ensemble Led by violinist, Basma Edrees, Music In-Takht is dedicated to sharing and preserving Egyptian musical heritage. The ensemble members are devoted musicians who with humility, hard work and confidence in their abilities take the responsibility of being amongst the “Keepers” of Egyptian musical culture within the San Francisco Bay Area.
Navaye Azadi Choir & Ensemble (Community Music Center, Sunday May 5)
Following the profound impact of their Festival performance in 2023, SFIAF is proud to present the Navaye Azadi (Voice of Freedom) choir and ensemble. Navaye Azadi is a group of activist musicians, singers, and actors, who support the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran. This movement escalated in September 2022 after the murder of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian regime. The Ensemble’s mission is to convey an effective social message to the global community through innovative projects that focus on increasing human awareness and understanding social responsibilities within and across cultures.
Rachel Garlin (Thursday May 9, El Rio)
Rachel Garlin’s body of music, titled The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese is a soundtrack for the story of forbidden love. Thirteen songs artfully slung together with hemp-rope and heart. Delivering notes from the present day, but also subtly illuminating the year 1940 when certain couples - like Madelyne and Therese - could only love each other undercover, in code, in the margins of bars, or bravely and occasionally, right under the stars.
Ting Luo (Community Music Center, Sunday May 12)
Ting Luo and the New Arts Collaboration Project will present the world premiere of WORDS a composition for voice and piano by Belinda Reynolds. WORDS is a multimedia piece consisting of both a piano score and an 'aural collage' in Chinese Mandarin. Ms. Luo will perform a poem written by herself about the story of her grandfather, a composer during the 20th century in China.
