Watch this space closely for updates to our exciting 2012-2013 Guest Conductor Season!
2012-2013 Future Concert Dates:
Jessica Bejarano, Guest Conductor
Grazyna Bacewicz - Overture for Orchestra
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2
Daniel Glover, soloist
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
Dawn Harms, Guest Conductor -- program to be announced shortly
The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony is conducting a search for its next Artistic Director.
The job description can be found here.
Those interested can also download an application directly from this link.
More Music. More Magic. BARS 2011-2012 Season Subscriptions are now available! Season Highlights include Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suite no. 1, Beethoven's Symphony no. 7, Brahm's Symphony no. 1, and 
Mussorgky's Pictures at an Exhibition ( Ravel orchestration).
Our 11/12 season continues our mission to showcase the Bay Area's finest musicians and LGBTQ artists, including BARS Flute section leader David Latulippe, San Francisco Symphony's organist Jonathan Dimmock, San Francisco Opera first violinist Dawn Harms, frequent SF Symphony, Opera, and Ballet guest saxophonist David Henderson, and BARS assistant conductor, Maestra Jessica Bejarano. View Season
Subscribe Now to guarantee the best seats and enjoy subscriber-only benefits throughout the year. View Subscriber FAQ's
We Want You: Join the team of the SF Bay Area's hottest music performing arts organization!
BARS invites qualified individuals to apply for the paid positions of Executive Director and Front of House Manager.
Click Read the Full Article for job descriptions and how to apply.
Job Description & Responsibilities: The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer of the orchestra, responsible for managing the human and financial resources of the organization in order to achieve the orchestra's mission. The Executive Director is responsible and accountable for all operational aspects of the organization, recommending policies to the Board of Directors and implementing the policies set by the Board. The Executive Director, Artistic Director and Board President collaborate closely to fulfill the organizations operational, artistic, and financial goals.
The positions of Front of House Manager, Executive Assistant, Volunteer Coordinator, IT Manager, Communications Director, Stage & Equipment Manager, and Finance Director are direct reports to the Executive Director. If any volunteer positions who report to the Executive Director remain unfilled, the ED is responsible for the duties of those positions and for recruiting volunteers (or paid individuals, as the budget allows) to fill those positions.
The Executive Director and the Artistic Director are responsible for providing the leadership, vision, and information needed to enable the Board of Directors to adopt constructive, progressive, sound, and practical plans for the continued development of the organization and the continued enrichment of the musical life of the community. The Executive Director is expected to do all things possible to see that the organization constantly improves its musical product, that it operates on a stable financial basis, and that it carries out its obligation to serve its members, audience and greater community.
The Executive Director is required to attend rehearsals on Wednesday nights, BARS performances and operational, artistic and Board meetings.
Requirements:
Compensation: Part-time contract position, $5,000.00/year. Does not include benefits, health insurance, travel reimbursement or relocation fees.
To Apply: E-mail resume and letter of interest which includes why you feel you are a good fit for BARS’ organization and mission to jobs@bars-sf.org by April 18, 2011. Please, no phone calls or physical mail.
BARS is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). It is BARS policy not to discriminate on the basis of genetic predisposition, race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability or condition, political affiliation, status as veteran, victim of domestic violence, source of income, place of residence, or any other protected status and/or conditions specified in federal, state, and local laws. This policy of non-discrimination applies to all employment practices including but not limited to hiring and compensation.
Job Description & Responsibilities: The Front of House Manager (FoHM) coordinates and oversees all things box office, concessions, and reception resources and personnel at BARS events.
Box Office responsibilities include management of on-line ticketing software, individual and subscription ticket purchases, responding to patron inquiries and ticket exchange requests via e-mail and phone, comp ticket management, consignment management, physical ticket preparation and overseeing box office volunteers at performances and events (average of five ticketed concert events per year).
Concessions & Receptions responsibilities include management of acquisition, storage and preparation of food, beverage and consumables. Management of concessions pricing. Works with outside vendors and sponsors. Manages set up and sale of concessions at events. Coordinates with orchestra members and volunteers for reception food.
The Front of House Manager is required to attend all BARS performance events or other ticketed events. The FoHM needs to be able to arrive 2½ hours prior to an event (most BARS performances are on Saturday at 8pm) and need to stay until the audience has cleared the venue and BARS has exited the premises. Ticketing management, box office preparation, and patron and volunteer management time requirements are flexible hours and locations.??
Known 2011-2012 Season performance dates: June 4, 2011; June 24, 2011; Sept 10, 2011; Nov 10, 2011; March 24, 2012; June 2, 2012; June 21 & 22, 2012.
Requirements:
Compensation: Part-time contract position, $2,000.00/year. Does not include benefits, health insurance, travel reimbursement or relocation fees.
To Apply: E-mail resume and letter of interest which includes why you feel you are a good fit for BARS’ organization and mission to jobs@bars-sf.org by April 18, 2011. Please, no phone calls or physical mail.
BARS is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). It is BARS policy not to discriminate on the basis of genetic predisposition, race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability or condition, political affiliation, status as veteran, victim of domestic violence, source of income, place of residence, or any other protected status and/or conditions specified in federal, state, and local laws. This policy of non-discrimination applies to all employment practices including but not limited to hiring and compensation.
Music by Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein w/ NYTimes music critic Anthony Tommasini
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 5736 Mission St between 3rd and 4th Sts, SF 94103 (Map)
Tickets: $20 (includes museum admission) Online or 415.655.7800
Advanced Ticket Purchase Highly Recommended
Virgil Thomson, Gertrude Stein’s closest music collaborator, composed two operas to her libretti and “musical portraits” of subjects while they sat silently before him. In conjunction with the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s exhibition Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories (May 12–Sept 6), BARS presents Anthony Tommasini, chief classical music critic for The New York Times and Thomson scholar, performing of a selection of Thomason's "musical portraits."
In addition to his performance, Tommasini will speak on how Thomson’s relatively simple music reflects and resonates with Stein's hermetic writing. BARS musicians will also perform some of Thomson’s musical portraits and other works for chamber orchestra, including selections from Socrate by Erik Satie, one of Thomson’s major influences. Performance also features a reading of Stein’s literary portraits and soloist Brian Thorsett, tenor, under the baton of Daniel Canosa.
Part of the BARS LGBTQ Composer & Performing Artist series. Steingraeber & Sohne piano provided by R.KASSMAN, Berkeley
Preliminary Program
Anthony Tommasini will perform musical portraits by Virgil Thomson on piano. The program also includes other musical portraits, including those of Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Thomson’s partner, Maurice Grosser who provided the scenarios to the Stein/Thomson operas, and a self portrait played by BARS. The program will also include an excerpt of Satie’s Socrate, as well as the Thomson’s aria Pigeons on a Grass Alas from the opera Four Saints in Three Acts and the overture to his opera The Mother of Us All.
About Anthony Tommasini, piano
Anthony Tommasini, DMA wrote his dissertation on Thomson’s portraits, which was published in 1986 as Virgil Thomson’s Musical Portraits. As a pianist, he has recorded two CDs of music by Thomson: Portraits and Self-Portraits and Mostly About Love: Songs and Vocal Works. Dr. Tommasini is the author of the seminal biography Virgil Thomson: Composer on the Aisle, published in 1997. He became the chief classical music critic at the New York Times in 2000. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale.
About Brian Thorsett, tenor
Tenor Brian Thorsett has been seen and heard in over 70 diverse operatic roles, ranging from Monteverdi to Britten, back to Rameau and ahead again to works composed especially for his talents. During the 2011-12 season, he returns to the roles Jupiter and Apollo in Semele, Acis in Acis & Galatea and Aeneas, Sailor and Spirit in Dido and Aeneas. As a concert singer Brian fosters a stylistically diversified repertoire of over 100 works, which has taken him to concert halls across the US and Europe. Future engagements include works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Britten, Bernard Herman, and Berlioz among many others. He is a graduate of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, Glimmerglass Opera’s Young American Artist program, the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Aldeburgh, England and spent two summers at the Music Academy of the West.
About Virgil Thomsom, composer
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) composed two operas to libretti by Stein, Four Saints in Three Acts and The Mother of Us All, which are among the most frequently produced American operas. He wrote many other pieces to texts by Stein and composed over 140 musical portraits, which were usually written in one session. He was also a prolific music critic. The simplicity of composer Erik Satie’s style was a major influence. He studied at Harvard University and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
About the Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories exhibition
Drawing upon a wealth of rarely seen artistic and archival materials, Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories illuminates Stein's life and pivotal role in art during the 20th century. Focusing on Stein's life from the end of World War I through World War II, the exhibition explores her evolving public personae, lifestyle, relationships, landmark 1934-35 tour of the United States, and life in France during WWII.
Through a portrayal of Stein's contributions in her writings, patronage, and lifestyle, the exhibition provides an intimate look at Stein's complex relationship to her identity, culture, and history. Seeing Gertrude Stein also explores the ways in which Stein's life and writings have impressed themselves upon the American artistic imagination and inspired generations of writers, artists, musicians, and performers. The exhibit also features her lifelong partner, Alice B. Toklas. An additional focus is her collaborations with various artists including the composer Virgil Thomson.
Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories will be on view at the Contemporary Jewish Museum May 12 through September 6, 2011concurrently as the exhibition The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
Click Here to learn more about Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories
About the Contemporary Jewish Museum
Since its founding in 1984, the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) has engaged audiences of all ages and backgrounds through dynamic exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art, and ideas. The Museum has distinguished itself as a welcoming place where visitors can connect with one another through dialogue and shared experiences with the arts. The Museum's Daniel Libeskind-designed facility, completed in 2008, enables and inspires its mission. The CJM is located in SOMA across from Yerba Buena Gardens, one block from the MUNI/Bart Powell Station.
Click Here to learn more about the Contemporary Jewish Museum
Join BARS and SF Conservatory of Music musicians at First Unitarian Universalist Church (Map) for music benefitting The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth. Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its free and confidential lifeline, in-school workshops, educational materials, online resources, and advocacy.
The evening features music by Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Gershwin, Monti, Clarke, and SF composer Thomas Conroy with Amy Foote, soprano, Justin Lee, flute, Lydia Eyssallenne, violin, Sungbin Choi, cello, Samuel Grodin, piano, and Igor Pancevski, piano. A reception follows the performance.
Tickets: $10 at the door, cash or check only. If you're unable to attend please consider making a donation directly to the project instead
BARS is pleased to support The Trevor Project and sponsor this performance as part of our community support programs promoting LGBTQ and teen mental health and suicide and bullying prevention.
A note from Daniel Canosa, Artistic Director
I want to share with you something very interesting for the orchestra and for me personally during this time of preparations for our upcoming concert on November 20th. Together with Brian Thorsett, our tenor for Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, we have been researching the letters that Britten wrote to many of his friends and family around the time of the composition of this piece.
Of all the correspondence the ones that stand out foremost are the letters between Britten and Peter Pears, who would become his partner. These letters are full of understanding, dedication, forgiveness, care and many of the wonderful loving qualities of their life-long relationship.
Inspired by these letters, we decided to include them in the performance. They will be read in between the sections of the Serenade to illuminate the experience of listening to the songs and to be a little closer to the man who wrote them.
Here is a little tease for you, a fragment of a letter from Pears to Britten:
…You know, I have been thinking an awful lot about you and me. I love you with my whole being, solemnly and seriously. These last times made me realize how serious love is, what a great responsibility and what a sharing of personalities – It’s not just a pleasure and self-indulgence. Our love must be complete and a creation in itself, a gift which we must be fully conscious of and responsible for…
Your tax-deductible contribution now means even more!
All donations received to help BARS purchase timpani and other percussion equipment will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Jon Sims Endowment Fund for the Performing Arts.
Click Here to make a lasting impact on BARS
BARS invites intermediate and advanced flute and piccolo players to participate in our current audition cycle. Preference will be given to flutists who also play piccolo, as parts are rotated throughout the season.
Application Deadline: Monday, Feb 21, 2011, 8p
Preliminary auditions: Monday, Feb 28, 2011, 7-9p
Finals: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 6:30p
Read the Full Article for additional info, audition excerpts, and to request an audition.
Important: Please review all of the following information prior to requesting an audition.
Auditions: All auditions are in San Francisco. Required orchestral excerpts include:
Flute: Beethoven Leonore Overture No.3 (opening and solo passage); Bizet Carmen Entr'acte; Dvorak Symphony No.9 (selected passages)
Piccolo: Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto, II; Rossini Semiramide Oveture (selected passages); Shostakovich Symphony No.9.
Click Here to download audition excerpts (this PDF is viewable with Adobe Reader). In addition, candidates are expected to prepare a brief flute solo of his/her choice which showcases technical abilities and expression.
Member Expectations: All BARS members are expected to subscribe to the organization's mission, goals, values, and policies, in addition to:
Part Rotation and Assignment: Parts and seating shall be rotated on a set-by-set basis. Part and performance rotation will be determined at the beginning of each concert set.
Granting of Membership: Player(s) selected from this audition process will participate in a performance with the orchestra, after which there will be an evaluation by the leadership to grant the membership.
FAQs:
Do I have to identify as LGBTQ to be a member of BARS? No, about 20% of the orchestra members identify of hetereosexual/straight.
Does BARS pay it's musicians? BARS is a non-paying advanced orchestra. Members pay dues are currently at $40/set per 4-5 set season with a $20 annual membership fee. Financial hardship waivers are available.
I previously auditioned for BARS. May I re-audition? Yes, we encourage you to request an audition.
To request an audition: Email flutes@bars-sf.org with your previous flute and piccolo, orchestral, and ensemble experience, and/or a one-page resume as a .pdf or .doc
About BARS: Launched in 2008, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony (BARS) is an orchestra dedicated to increasing visibility and challenging stereotypes of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) composers, instrumentalists, and performing artists. BARS performs ambitious repertory to a high standard, connecting with and bridging audiences from all communities and backgrounds.
BARS showcases its 85+ member symphony orchestra and chamber ensembles at the SF Conservatory of Music and various Bay Area venues. Our musicians can also be seen and heard doing outreach for local LGBTQ, service, and education organizations. Over 20% of BARS musicians and 40% of BARS audience identify as heterosexual/straight. Intermediate and advanced instrumentalists, especially string players, are invited to join our weekly Wednesday evening rehearsals at SF State University (Map).
Under the artistic direction of Daniel Canosa, BARS has been recognized for its achievements in artistic excellence and community building by the city and county of San Francisco and the State of California. BARS is a non-profit organization: all donations are tax-deductible. For more information about BARS, upcoming concerts, and how to get involved, visit http://bars-sf.org
BARS does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or veteran status.
Join us for a FREE evening celebrating the past year and toasting the next!
This Wednesday, December 15, 7pm at the Hamm's Building, 1550 Bryant St, SF, enjoy stunning views of the city with BARS musicians, volunteers, audience, and friends.
Click Here to RSVP
Subscribe Today and save over 25% off individual tickets! Only subscribers are guaranteed admission to all BARS performances, enjoy the same seats all season at reserved seating venues, and are first in the door at general admission venues. View BARS 2010-2011 season
You've heard us: now we want to hear from YOU! In less than 10 minutes, help shape BARS future programming and offerings. Complete the survey by December 4th and be entered to win an iPod Shuffle or two (2) Premier tickets to BARS March 26, 2011 performance!
Click Here to take the survey and enter to win!
Join our friends, Lesbian/Gay Chorus of SF and SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, as they present the 32nd Annual Pride Concert with guests SF Gay Men's Chorus, Golden Gate Men's Chorus, Voices Lesbian Choral Ensemble, and CHEER SF! For information and tickets, visit sfprideconcert.org
Join a limited number of select fans and artists after BARS' 2010 Pride Month Concert for lush wine and hors d'oeuvres from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Tallulah Wines, and Hansen's Natural Cane Soda, exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider. VIP reception is 21+ only, proper ID required for admittance.
Sunday, June 13, 4-7pm
QBAR, 456 Castro Street between Market and 18th, SF 94114 (Map & Directions)
Join BARS members, friends and newcomers over icy brews and classy cocktails while socializing and supporting our community's music and programs. Boys and girls are always welcome at QBAR, one of the hippest LGBTQ hangouts in San Francisco. Together, BARS and QBAR serve up a friendly, mixed-gender mixer second to none! The full $8 for the beer bust, plus a portion of all beverage sales will benefit Bay Area Rainbow Symphony. 21+ and cash only.
Enter for a chance to win a luxurious package for two to the third annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival, April 8-11, 2010, presented by American Express Publishing.
The premier, grand-scale, epicurean lifestyle event on the West Coast, the festival brings more than 4000 national and international attendees to one of the most picturesque strips of coastline in the world. Learn more
Hosted at Pebble Beach Resorts this four-day event combines 250 acclaimed wineries with 60 celebrity chefs and offers countless wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, and some of the most remarkable dining opportunities available in the world.
Weekend Prize Package includes:
To enter, purchase any ONE (1) Ticket to the BARS Premier Concert Event on March 27th and be automatically entered to win a luxurious Magnum Package for two to the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival April 8 – 11.
For questions concerning this sweepstakes, as well as advertising and sponsorship opportunities, email marketing at bars-sf dot org or call 415-57-VIOLA.
OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO ARE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND LOCATED IN THE U.S. AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. VOID ELSEWHERE AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Complete Terms