Two fantastic alumni of our Sounds Promising Young Composers Program pen world-premiere works for our ensemble, inspired by Bach’s Chaconne.
If you love dead, white, male, 19th-century German composers as much as we do – and are not (yet!) familiar with the greatness of Johann Nepomuk Hummel – this concert exploring the arbitrariness of fame is for you.
Friday, March 8, 2024 @ 8 PM - West LA (map)
Edye Second Space at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center
Saturday, March 9, 2024 @ 8 PM - Pasadena
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
What happens when a symphonist writes for 5 instruments? In this case, a masterpiece for the ages. Brian Lauritzen dissects what makes Brahms’ Piano Quintet such a perfect piece of music before a full performance of the work. Mimosa and munchies reception to follow.
Program:
Johannes Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
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.
Eat, drink, and dance the night away in support of Salastina's Vital Sounds Program, an initiative that provides the healing power of music to those who need it most.
Through Vital Sounds, Salastina provides free, one-on-one, virtual bedside concerts to patients in UCLA's intensive care unit. Vital Sounds concerts take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — rain or shine, including holidays. Since May 2020, we've provided over 51,000 minutes of music to over 2,500 patients and their caregivers.
Salastina musicians are joined by special guests Joachim Horsley and Friends. For an idea of what to expect musically -- and what you'll be dancing to: imagine the answer to the question, "what if Beethoven lived in 20th century Havana?"
Enjoy La Puglia’s passed hors’d’oeuvres, buffet dinner (including vegetarian options), dessert, and wine and cocktails throughout.
Tickets are $250 per person. All proceeds benefit Salastina’s Vital Sounds Program. Ticket sales close December 15.
Salastina thanks Dr. Nirav Kamdar for underwriting the dinner, venue rental, and concert, and Philip and Kristan Swan for underwriting the event bar.
Salastina’s contribution to the statewide California Festival of contemporary classical music is in partnership with Leela Dance Collective, a Hindustani Kathak dance company. Encounters With Beauty is a world-premiere piece of choreography set to music by our dear friends and LA-based composers Derrick Skye and Reena Esmail. Drinks reception, replete with Indian munchies, to follow.
What to Know Before You Go at the Edye Second Space
Artists:
Saavani Thigale, Hindustani vocalist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
Derrick Skye, Composer
Leela Dance Collective
Rukhmani Mehta and Seibi Lee, Co-Artistic Directors and Dancers
Rachna Nivas, Dancer
Joanna Meinl, Dancer
Sonali Toppur, Dancer
Ahana Mukherjee, Dancer
Carrie Jennings, Dancer
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
*In-Person tickets are currently SOLD OUT.
Paris-based rockstar of the harpsichord Jean Rondeau performs a full live, in-person recital of works by Haydn, Clementi, and Mozart. The event includes conversation with the artist and a mimosa and pastry reception.
Program:
Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 31
Muzio Clementi: Gradus ad Paranassum op. 44, N°45 - Preludio Andante malinconico in C minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.16 in C Major, K. 545
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo in A minor K. 511
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fantaisie in D minor K. 397
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge. Please note this special performance is ONLY available to rewatch for 72 hours.
In-person tickets are currently SOLD OUT.
Friday, September 29, 2023 @ 8 PM - West LA
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, September 30, 2023 @ 8 PM - Pasadena
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
Our multi-year cycle of the complete works of Dmitri Shostakovich – otherwise known as the BFF of Mieczysław Weinberg – continues with his first and ninth string quartets and his Sonata for Viola and Piano. Wine and munchies reception to follow.
Program:
Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147
String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49
String Quartet No. 9 in E flat Major, Op. 117
Artists:
Maia Jasper White and Kevin Kumar, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Jennifer Miller Hammel, Guest Host
Salastina Members may watch the livestream for free in our Members-Only Lounge.
Friday, April 28 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, April 29 @ 8 PM
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
Say Salastinaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah as we envelop you in a stunning musical playlist specifically designed to bring on a healing ugly cry. Reception to follow.
Program:
Arvo Pärt: Spiegel Im Spiegel
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Quinteto Instrumental - II. Lento
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings
Ernest Chausson: Piano Quartet - II. Très calme
William Grant Still: Summerland
Aaron Copland: Midsummer Nocturne
Clara Schumann: Piano Trio - III. Andante
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet Opus 59 No. 2 - II. Molto Adagio. Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
Benjamin Smolen, Resident Flutist
Cristina Montes Mateo, Guest Harpist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Friday, March 24 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, March 25 @ 8 PM
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
When your Resident Artists are this good, you owe it to everyone to shine a giant spotlight on them once in a while. Meredith’s luscious tone and keen sense of beauty shine in Vaughan Williams’ Suite for Viola. And Schumann’s Cello Concerto, arranged for chamber ensemble, has been on Yoshi’s wishlist for years. Who needs orchestral accompaniment when your chamber music friends have your back?
Complimentary wine to be served beginning at 7:30 PM for both performances. Wine reception resumes after the performance with the addition of munchies.
For venue info and more, click What To Know Before You Go!
Program:
Paul Hindemith: Trauermusik
Henri Casadesus: Concerto in the style of J.C. Bach
Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, Opus 129
Artists:
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshika Masuda, Resident Cellist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors and Violinists
Jonathan Moerschel, Guest Violist
Ross Gasworth, Guest Cellist
Stephanie Payne, Guest Bassist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Friday, November 11 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, November 12 @ 8 PM
Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (map)
+ Livestream
Comforting, sacred, luminous, joyful, traditional, elegant, and well-proportioned: Baroque music always feels right as the holidays approach. Join us to share in music that’s like a warm bath for the spirit.
Program runtime:
75 minutes, inclusive of Brian Lauritzen's contextualizing remarks. There is no intermission.
Repertoire:
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pièces de clavecin en concerts - Cinquième concert
Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in d minor for Two Violins and Cello, RV 565
Orlando Gibbons: The Silver Swan
Leonora Duarte: Sinfonia 2
Christoph Willibald Gluck: Melody from Orfeo ed Euridice
Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 2
Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Michi Wiancko: Chaconne
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
Lina Bahn, Guest Violinist
Hana Kim, Guest Violinist
Linnea Powell, Guest Violist
Ted Botsford, Guest Double Bassist
Brian Lauritzen, Resident Host
Outdoor courtyard receptions to follow each concert. Saturday night’s wine comes courtesy of Lumen Wines and the Henry Family.
Friday, October 14 @ 8 PM
The Edye at the Broad Stage (map)
Saturday, October 15 @ 8 PM
The Loft at the Pasadena Playhouse (map)
+ Livestream
We’d planned on starting a multi-year cycle of the complete chamber works of Dmitri Shostakovich back in March of 2020. This intense music is all the more cathartic now in light of not only the ongoing war in Ukraine, but also the broader political and existential fatigue in which we all find ourselves. Explore three of Shostakovich’s seminal works with us, written at the beginning, middle, and end of his life.
Reception to follow.
Special thanks to the Henry Family at Lumen Wines for generously donating wine for all Pasadena receptions.
Program:
String Quartet No. 11, Opus 122 (age 60)
Piano Trio No. 1, Opus 8 (age 16)
Piano Quintet in g minor, Opus 57 (age 34)
Runtime 90 minutes, no intermission
Artists:
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, Co-Artistic Directors & Violinists
Meredith Crawford, Resident Violist
Yoshida Masuda, Resident Cellist
HyeJin Kim, Resident Pianist
If you were 232 years old, wouldn't you want a makeover?
OC fan tutte, an adaptation of Mozart's Così fan tutte, leaves the original music intact - and hits refresh on the plot.
With cleverness, compassion, and reverence, OC fan tutte librettist Vid Guerrerio replaces Così's 18th-century misogyny with current issues of gender equality and marriage rights.
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.
The “OC” of OC fan tutte is - you guessed it - Orange County. Once among the most conservative areas of the U.S, the OC is now undergoing rapid demographic and cultural change. This makes it the perfect setting for our drama. 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.
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.
Sunday, June 5 at 8:00 PM
East Wing at the Broad Stage
Santa Monica; indoors
The Broad Stage and Santa Monica College require all event attendees show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Read SMC’s policy here.
Parking: Limited free parking is available in the lot directly in front of the theater. There is also parking on the streets around the theater. Please read the City of Santa Monica’s posted signs carefully 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.
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
Listen up on the playlist below:
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
Please note UCLA requires proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours.
Program:
Sounds Genius: Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Sounds Genius: C.P.E. Bach’s Flute Concerto in D minor, Wq 22
Info and directions to the outdoor Courtyard at the Fowler Museum. Please note, UCLA’s policy requires proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours of the concert.
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 7:30 PM. Learn more about the courtyard at Fowler 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.
Info and directions to the outdoor Courtyard at the Fowler Museum.
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 Fowler Museum and find our current COVID-19 safety policies here.
Summer @ The Wallis showcases Salastina, an LA-based chamber music ensemble nationally recognized for its accessibility and “elegant virtuosity” (Huffington Post), performing a compelling selection of music from repertoire spanning three centuries on our pop-up outdoor stage.
Over the past decade, American Public Media’s prestigious Performance Today, the most listened to daily classical music radio program in the country, has featured more than two dozen Salastina performances on its airwaves, reaching millions of people nationwide.
Program (full Spotify playlist here):
Gade, arr. by Cavaterra: Jalousie
Rodriguez: La Cumparsita
Ginastera: Piano Sonata, Movement I
Boulanger: Trois pieces
Piazzolla: Le Grand Tango
Piazzolla: Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Piazzolla: Romance del Diablo
Artists:
HyeJin Kim, pianist
Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper White, violinists
Meredith Crawford, violist
Yoshika Masuda, cellist
Seth Asarnow, bandoneon player
Nathan Farrington, double bassist
Philip Graulty, electric guitarist
All sales are final. Programs, artists, prices, and dates subject to change.
Donations are deductible to the full extent of the law. Salastina is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Tax ID 83-4248512.
To donate by mail, please make your check to "Salastina", and mail to:
Salastina
PO Box 4164
Glendale, CA 91222
