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.

Slow your heartbeat and set it aflutter with a selection of soul-soothing and soul-stirring Romantic, pop, classical, and movie score favorites. The intimate, vibe-y, chandelier-lit venue in the heart of Hollywood puts you up close to the performers: a string quartet, pianist, and flutist who've recorded your favorite film soundtracks. Enjoy complimentary wine and chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival, and mingle with the artists after the show.

Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Ben Smolen, Resident Flutist


Please note tickets need to be purchased in advance; there are no door sales or livestream for this concert.

$20 Reserve parking is available for purchase below.

A contemplative Happy Hour exploring the porous boundary between mortality and the beyond. Musical selections include the slow movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet Opus 132 and the world-premiere instrumental-only chamber arrangement of Eric Whitacre’s profoundly moving choral work, The Sacred Veil. The setting – a marble sanctuary suffused with the rainbow light of hundreds of stained glass windows – sets the scene. Reception with the artists to follow. 

Program:
Juhi Bansal: Cathedral of Light
Olivier Messiaen: Louange from The Quartet for the End of Time
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 132, III "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart," Molto adagio – Andante
Eric Whitacre: You Feel Like Home: Suite from The Sacred Veil for Piano Quintet

Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Eric Whitacre, Composer

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.

What to Know Before You Go

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!

Join us for a complete performance of Derrick Skye’s As I Heard When I Was Young before we record it in the studio. Derrick will be there to share his inspiration for the piece — and his warm and charismatic personality.

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.

Joachim Horsley is a composer, pianist, and arranger. His 2019 album “Via Havana,” praised by the French publication Le Figaro as “masterful,” features piano-driven re-imaginings of great Classical works using Afro-Caribbean Rhythms. His related YouTube videos have garnered over 3 million views.

Recently he created the original scores for the ABC TV Series “Baker and the Beauty,” Disney Channel's “Big City Greens,” and Warner Brothers feature film “Batman: Soul of the Dragon.” Other projects include arranging for Michael Bublé and John Legend, as well as orchestrating Ben Folds’ Piano Concerto.

Mimosa and pastry reception to follow in Pasadena Conservatory’s lovely outdoor courtyard.

Salastina Members can cash in on those benefits for in-person early access at 10:00 AM. As always, Salastina Members may watch the livestream free in our Members-Only Lounge.


Program:
Impromptuno
Colombia Andante
Lacrimoson
Mountain King Cha Cha
Beethoven In Havana
Rumba Prelude

Artists:
Joachim Horsley, Guest Pianist and Composer
Yonathan “Morocho” Gavidia, Guest Hand Percussionist
Luca Alemanno, Guest Double and Electric Bassist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Hanbyul Jang Lash, Guest Violist
Ben Lash, Guest Cellist
Ben Smolen, Resident Flutist

Joining us tomorrow? Click here for more info.

Click here for more information about Frautschi Hall at CalTech’s Hammeetman Center, including a campus map and parking information.

Join us for live performance and intimate, frank conversation with Laurence Servaes, a Belgian soprano and composer who is truly stunning in every way. She and pianist Louise Thomas will perform a selection of chansons, art songs, contemporary works, and Laurence's original compositions. The music and the subject matter cover a wide range of human experience and emotion. Laurence describes the program she's chosen as "bonbons of beauty."

To celebrate our first-ever in-person Happy Hour, this event is FREE to attend in-person and FREE to watch online.

In-person tickets are sold out! Queue up at 10:30 for our standby list. Because this is a free performance, there will inevitably be a few no-shows. If you arrive early, it's likely you'll get in. Standbys will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis.

As always, Salastina Members may watch the livestream free in our Members-Only Lounge.

This performance includes the option of a pre-show VIP reception with full open bar at 6:00 PM.

Free for Salastina Members; $40 ticket add-on for non-Members.

***

If you were 232 years old, wouldn't you want a makeover?

Mozart's music for Così fan tutte has stood the test of time for hundreds of years. Its plot, however, hasn't aged quite so gracefully.

Librettist Vid Guerrerio's OC fan tutte leaves every note of Così fan tutte intact -- and hits refresh on the plot. Set in the Culture Wars battleground that is Orange County today, OC fan tutte replaces Così's 18th-century misogyny with current issues of gender equality and marriage rights.

OC fan tutte is Vid's first public offering since ¡Figaro! (90210), his similar adaptation of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. ¡Figaro! (90210) played to sold-out audiences on both coasts in 2014; critics around the country called it "audacious and entertaining," "sparkling," "ingenious," "timely," "thought-provoking," "sexy," "respectful," and "uproariously funny."

Diving right into the widening gulf between right and left, OC fan tutte brings humor and irreverence to the culture wars. Mozart’s two young couples are now fundamentalist Christians. They're hell-bent on proving their moral superiority to social justice warriors… who have a righteous agenda of their own. A not-so-friendly bet challenges the “good Christian values” of the young couples;  catfishing, sexting, swiping right, and other online shenanigans ensue. But it’s not long until the real-world effects are felt. 

Where Così fan tutte sends a message that “all women are alike” in their fickleness, OC fan tutte says that truly all of us - no matter our gender identity, orientation, or politics - have a lot more in common than we may want to admit. This up-to-the-minute adaptation exposes how much all sides have to learn about the nature and value of true fidelity, commitment, and humility. 

Proof of vaccination requirement: The Athenaeum requires all visitors show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 when entering the venue. Read the Athenaeum’s policy here.

Parking: Salastina Members receive complimentary valet parking. For all others, free street parking is available after 6:00 pm. Please read the City of Pasadena’s signs for time limits and restrictions.

Artists:

Kangmin Justin Kim as Queen Thespina (Despina)
Ali Ewoldt as Briella (Dorabella)
Joanna Ceja as Felicia (Fiordiligi)
Chris Hunter as Frankie (Ferrando)
David Castillo as Will (Guglielmo)
E. Scott Levin as Alonzo (Don Alfonso)
Indre Viskontas, Director
Vince Womak, Conductor
Vid Guerrerio, Creator

Musicians:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
Stephen Pfeifer, bassist
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Chris Stoutenborough, clarinetist

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

Because the unknown isn't always scary:

Here Be Dragons Playlist

Enjoy April's program by listening to our dedicated YouTube playlist.

Calling all history nerds, Outlander fans, and romantics in general! Travel back in time and around the world with us at this special outdoor dinner concert in a private, tree-lined courtyard in the hills.

Journey in the fictional footsteps of Claire and Jamie Fraser through the real-life music and food of mid-18th century Scotland, France, and the Caribbean; colonial America; and Boston in the 1960s. And of course, we’ll include plenty of composer Bear McCreary’s original music for the show.

We are thrilled to once again partner with Chef Becky Brown, the chef who brought our Harry Potter and Game of Thrones dinner concerts to culinary life, and Mercedes Curran, who created their fabulous atmospheres. This time, we’ll benefit from the input of food historian Marissa Nicosia as well.

Menu

Welcome
🎼 Scottish reel
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🍳Scotch egg with fennel sausage 

Course 1: Scotland, 1743
🎼 Outlander Medley (Skye Boat Song, Dance of the Druids, Fallen through Time, Comin’ Thro’ the Rye)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🥬 Gratin of rumbledethumps with turnip, napa cabbage, and Weiser Farms creamer potatoes 

Course 2: France, 1744
🎼 Jean-Philippe Rameu: Chaconne from Dardanus
🇫🇷 🦀 Herbed crepe stuffed with fresh crab served with smoked tomato cream and tender leaf lettuces

Course 3: Battle of Culloden, 1756 to Boston, 1960
🎼 Outlander Medley (An Fideagh Argridh/Rule Brittania, Woman of Balnain) to Walter Piston: String Quartet No. 1
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🥩 🇺🇸 Creekstone Ranch dry-aged beef ribeye, peppercorn sauce, truffled “Glasgow salad” (pommes frites)

Course 4: The New World, 1766
🎼 Chevalier de Saint-Georges: String Quartet No. 1 in G minor to Mark O’Connor: Appalachia Waltz to Bear McCreary: Fraser’s Ridge Theme
🇯🇲 🍍 🍰 🇺🇸 Pineapple upside-down rum cake, macadamia nut brittle, crème fraiche ice cream 

• Proof of vaccination and booster shot is required of all guests

• The address will be provided to ticket buyers 24 hours before the event upon receipt of proof of vaccination and booster shot

• The venue is outdoors, private, and heated

• Come in costume, if you wish

• No refunds, with one exception: if we, the producers, cancel the event

• Vegetarians may request a vegetarian main course. No other menu substitutions will be accommodated

Artists:
Maia Jasper White and Kevin Kumar, violinists
Rob Brophy, violist
Caleb Vaugh-Jones, cellist
Jenni Olson, flutist

A note for the uninitiated: Outlander is a historical drama television series based on the ongoing novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. After serving as a British Army nurse in World War II, Claire Randall is enjoying a second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband Frank, an MI6 officer looking forward to a new career as an Oxford historian. Suddenly, Claire is transported back in time to 1743 — and into a mysterious world where her freedom and life are threatened. To survive, she marries Jamie Fraser, a strapping Scots warrior with a complicated past and disarming sense of humor. A passionate relationship ensues, and Claire is caught between two vastly different men in two inharmonious lives. Ultimately, she becomes embroiled in the Jacobite uprising; the drama brings her and Jaime to Paris, the Caribbean, and the New World. It’s fun, sexy, and super addicting.

After the year we’ve had, we could all use a little R&R. Some deep breaths. A cathartic ugly-cry.

Join us for a slow-movement orgy we’ve taken to calling “Salastina.calm.”

Program:
Reena Esmail: Saans
Claude Debussy: Syrinx
Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite for Solo Cello in D minor - I. Prelude
Hildegard von Bingen: Antiphon
Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae - Part II
Dmitri Shostakovich: Elegy for String Quartet
George Walker: Lyric for String Quartet
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vocalise
Louise Farrenc: Trio for Piano, Flute, and Cello - II. Andante
Thomas Adès: Arcadiana - VI. O Albion
Johannes Brahms: String Quartet No. 1 in C minor - II. Romanze. Poco adagio
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15 - II. Adagio. With great calm, always extremely expressive

Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Brian Lauritzen, host

For your comfort, the concert start time has been changed from 6:00 PM to 3:30 PM.

Back by popular demand: Sounds Mysterious, the musical equivalent of a blind wine-tasting.

This time, we’re going to tell you pertinent details of time and place up-front: all the music you’ll hear is French, from the earlier part of the 20th century. And we’re thrilled to feature guest harpist Charles Overton, one of 2021’s star Happy Hour guests.

Join us for the story of one grossly overlooked mega-talent told through his/her music and that of his/her contemporaries.

Program:
Maurice Ravel: Introduction et Allegro
TOP SECRET: Work for solo harp
Louis Durey: Nicolios et la Flute
TOP SECRET: Work for solo piano
Claude Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
TOP SECRET: Work for piano trio

Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
Charles Overton, harpist
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Joshua Ranz, clarinetist
Brian Lauritzen, host

Program:
Sounds Genius: Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Sounds Genius: C.P.E. Bach’s Flute Concerto in D minor, Wq 22

Listen to this program’s corresponding playlist on Spotify here, or click on the YouTube playlist below.

You're welcome to come in costume to compete for fame and glory everlasting in our costume contest. Bonus points if your costume is musically themed.

Artists:
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
Maksim Velichkin, harpsichordist
Brian Lauritzen, host

Doors open at 5:30 PM. Learn more about the courtyard at the Pacific Asia Museum and find our current COVID-19 safety policies here.

Our season-opener centers around themes of transcendence, renewal, sublimation, and growth.

Program:
Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (“Transfigured Night”)
Reena Esmail: Interglow
Judd Greenstein: City Boy
Kenji Bunch: Suite for Viola and Piano - I. Rhapsody
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores - I. Pelagic Within
Paul Wiancko: Lift - Part III

Listen to this program’s corresponding playlist on Spotify here, or YouTube here.

Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford and Jonathan Moerschel, violists
Yoshika Masuda and Sarah Kim, cellists
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Benjamin Smolen, flutist
Philip Graulty, electric guitarist
Sean Krissman, clarinetist
Stephen Pfeifer, double bassist

Learn more about the courtyard at the Pacific Asia Museum and find our current COVID-19 safety policies here.