LA and OC Weirdo Music and Art Forum

Tickets: $25
https://pianospheres.org/event/a-concert-for-sarah//

On July 14, 2024 the Piano Spheres family lost one of our own. Sarah Gibson was a brilliant pianist, a fierce composer, and an inspirational educator. She was half of the piano duo HOCKET who joined Piano Spheres as Core Artists in 2019, but she has been part of the Piano Spheres family for over a decade as both an Emerging Artist and Guest Artist. Sarah was a dedicated friend and colleague, an inspiring teacher, and a bright light in our tightly knit new music community. Please join the Piano Spheres family as we come together to celebrate Sarah with heartfelt performances of her music.

Driven by Artistry
Mission Statement — “Piano Spheres supports and encourages the composition and performance of major new works for the piano while, mentoring the next generation of emerging pianists. It enlarges the piano repertoire by commissioning new works and sustaining a concert series that focuses primarily on works by contemporary composers.”
Piano Spheres was founded in 1994 by pianist and scholar Leonard Stein, to present the best of contemporary piano music as well as rarely heard treasures from centuries past. Stein, a protégé of Arnold Schoenberg and founding Director of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute, was a champion of new music for more than sixty years as pianist, scholar, teacher, and presenter, both in Los Angeles and abroad. He hand-selected four of his most adventurous, new-music-minded former students from the University of Southern California – Gloria Cheng, Vicki Ray, Mark Robson, and Susan Svrček – to mentor as his colleagues in a unique cooperative venture: a concert series presenting five solo piano recitals programmed by each of the five pianists, all of whom share a fierce dedication to new and unusual music. On September 13, 1994, marking the 120th anniversary of Schoenberg’s birth, Piano Spheres presented its first concert. Since then, it has continued to combine the highest musical standards with a passionate commitment to exploring the music of today, to create the piano repertoire of the future.
The passing of Leonard Stein in 2004 led to a decision to invite a distinguished guest pianist each season to program and perform one concert of the five-concert series, which draws audiences from throughout the region. Among these guest pianists have been composer-pianist Thomas Adès, Jeffrey Kahane, Kathleen Supové, Christopher O’Riley, Ursula Oppens, composer-pianist Terry Riley, Eric Huebner, Joanne Pearce Martin, Liam Viney, the Bugallo-Williams Duo, the Viney-Grinberg Duo, Aron Kallay, Steven Vanhauwaert, Nic Gerpe, Richard Valitutto, and HOCKET.

Critics have called Piano Spheres “A nourishing, lasting LA invention” and one of “our most imaginative, best-planned, courageous and stimulating concert series.” Perhaps the LA Times said it best: “Clearly, Piano Spheres is intent on promoting new musical piano culture, not only by affording a handful of L.A.’s finest [pianists] a regular showcase, but also helping to expand and update the existing solo piano repertoire and offer needed encouragement to young composers.”

To date, Piano Spheres’ core artists and renowned guest artists have presented 830 works for piano by more than 300 composers from across the globe, of which 92 are women and 254 are American. These works include solo, duo piano, piano chamber music, and piano vocal music, comprising 126 premieres, 44 of which were commissioned by PS itself. Past performances are presented both on our website and the Piano Spheres YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@PianoSpheres

More info here: https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/805370/

Time: Thursday, July 17, 5 – 8pm PDT

Location: Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles
1 Trump National Dr
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/805370/

Civil rights article featuring john Lewis
https://www.history.com/articles/john-lewis-civil-rights-arrests

About:
Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.

On July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing, we’re taking action across the country to defend our democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble.

From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, the Trump administration is launching a full-scale attack on our civil and human rights. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we’re rising to prove it.
This is more than a protest; it’s a moral reckoning. A continuation of the movement Lewis helped lead, and a new front in the struggle for freedom.

Please note: A core principle behind our Good Trouble Lives On actions is a commitment to nonviolence in all we do. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

Venue: 350 South Grand AvenueLos Angeles, CA, 90071
(map)

LOCATION, PARKING & FAQ click here

Returning to the overall belief that you already love classical music, you may not know it yet, last year’s series returns with a powerful, illustrated evening with classical musicians from the Colburn School of Music. KUSC host Suraj Partha will narrate a story of classical influences on early jazz pianists like Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson for an entertaining evening for both enthusiasts and new fans of classical music.

Suraj Partha
Suraj Partha is an on-air host at Classical California KUSC (91.5FM), the most listened-to public classical music station in the U.S. He hosts overnight broadcasts and the concert series In the Halls of Thornton, and wrote and narrated the special Friendship and Harmony: Asian and Pacific Americans in Classical Music.

Originally from Memphis, Suraj studied piano, drums, and voice before moving to Los Angeles as a teen to pursue acting. His screen credits include Ender’s Game, Modern Family, Master of None, and most recently, Hulu’s Miguel Wants to Fight.

He holds a degree in Jazz Studies from USC’s Thornton School of Music, where he studied with legendary drummer Peter Erskine. There, Suraj discovered his passion for storytelling through and about music—a path he now continues on the airwaves.

Colburn School of Music
Founded on the principle of access to excellence, the Colburn School has remained committed to providing the best possible performing arts education to dedicated students for nearly 70 years. Under the care and guidance of an exceptional faculty, generations of students have discovered and expressed their passion for music, dance, and the performing arts.

Location: On the corner in front of Chase Bank.
801 Pacific Coast Hwy
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Map
RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/805370/

About:
Seal beach and friends are taking action against Donald Trump and his administration in a peaceful protest. This event will start at noon and end at 2 PM. If you do not have a sign and would like to hold one, signs will be available to borrow (and must be returned by 2pm) on the Chase Bank corner of Main Street and PCH in Seal Beach. We are committed to nonviolence in all we do. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values. Please remain on the sidewalks without blocking entrances to any business. Again, please do not engage with any person who tries to antagonize you. Simply ignore them. They want you to engage with them. Summon all your strength and resist speaking to them. 😍

Parking can be found in the Pavilions parking lot, the Chase Bank parking lot, and the neighborhood directly behind Chase Bank.