UC Davis Events Calendar

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1in B-flat Minor
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings, op. 48
Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini

For over a century, the Czech Philharmonic has represented the pinnacle of Czech cultural achievement. In 1896, Dvořák conducted the Czech Philharmonic’s debut performance at the Rudolfinum in Prague. In 1908, Mahler conducted the Czech Philharmonic for the world premiere of his Symphony No. 7. Semyon Bychkov, an exceptional conductor in his first season as music director with the Czech Philharmonic, leads an all-Tchaikovsky evening featuring pianist Kirill Gerstein performing the original, less-bombastic, more lyrical version of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor.

Join us for a guided mindfulness meditation session led by instructor Neesha Patel, PhD. Mindfulness is receiving increasing scientific support as an effective way to manage stress and promote wellbeing. This session is open to all faculty, staff, students and retirees with any level of experience. Register for this session.

Acclaimed artist and activist Joan Baez will begin a run of North American dates beginning on September 11 in Ithaca, New York. The extensive run of shows, following 50 U.K. and European dates, marks Baez’s last year of formal touring and includes stops at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. “I’m looking forward to being on the road with a beautiful new album of which I am truly proud,” says Baez. “I welcome the opportunity to share this new music as well as longtime favorites with my audiences around the world.”

Special offer! Every ticket for this show includes a CD or download of Joan Baez’s forthcoming album, Whistle Down The Wind. You will receive an email with instructions for redeeming this offer approximately 10 days after your ticket purchase.

The Mondavi Center Gift Shop is generally open only to people with tickets to Mondavi Center events — but this annual event provides an opportunity for the public to browse and buy. Featured items: Cambodian hand bags, ribbon scarves, holiday gifts, knit ponchos and a wide assortment of jewelry. Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden will also have a table of goods. The event will include light breakfast food, and hot and cold beverages. Admission is free. Friends of the Mondavi Center run the gift shop, using the proceeds to support the center’s educational programs, including school matinees. The Friends make classroom visits before matinees, to talk with students about what they will be seeing, and serve as ushers during the performances.

Christian Baldini, music director and conductor. The program:

• Bernstein — Times Square 1944 from the Dance Suite from On the Town
• Copland — Piano Concerto, with Andrei Baumann
• Mahler — Symphony No. 5

Join us for a guided mindfulness meditation session led by instructor Neesha Patel, PhD. Mindfulness is receiving increasing scientific support as an effective way to manage stress and promote wellbeing. This session is open to all faculty, staff, students and retirees with any level of experience. Register for this session.

Join us for a guided mindfulness meditation session led by instructor Neesha Patel, PhD. Mindfulness is receiving increasing scientific support as an effective way to manage stress and promote wellbeing. This session is open to all faculty, staff, students and retirees with any level of experience. Register for this session.

With smart, observational humor and a legendary spontaneous interaction with the crowd, Paula Poundstone is one of our country’s pre-eminent comedians. A frequent panelist on NPR’s weekly news quiz show Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me, she improvises like a jazz musician, swinging in unexpected directions without a plan, without a net. There's a disarming ease in her craft, an immediate sense that she's so quick on her feet you need never worry about the possibility of something going wrong.

“I am fascinated with tying history to my personal experiences and bringing those things to life.” So says Camille A. Brown, whose company makes its Mondavi Center debut this season. Brown, a former dancer with Ronald K. Brown/ EVIDENCE, leads her troupe through dazzling excavations of ancestral stories—with a keen sense of theatricality, gutsy moves and deep musicality. This program features four works representing her far-reaching talent: Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012); excerpts from BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play (2015) and ink (2017); and New Second Line.

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, op. 73
Shostakovich String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, op. 83

Dmitri Shostakovich
The musical career of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) mirrored exactly the rise and history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1975. He entered the Petrograd Conservatory at the very end of the Tsarist era; he witnessed the Revolution and began his career during Lenin’s rule; he was nearly purged twice by Stalin; he flourished under Khrushchev and died while Brezhnev was in power. Shostakovich was a survivor and a great composer, and his fear and self-loathing, his courage and experience found their way into his music. As such, Shostakovich is not just the most important composer of string quartets and symphonies from the 1920s to the 1970s; even more, he and his music stand as witnesses to the rise and failures of the Soviet Union, one of the defining events of the 20th century.

Renowned musicologist, author and composer Robert Greenberg provides commentary throughout this concert.

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, op. 73 ​

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, op. 83

Dmitri Shostakovich
The musical career of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) mirrored exactly the rise and history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1975. He entered the Petrograd Conservatory at the very end of the Tsarist era; he witnessed the Revolution and began his career during Lenin’s rule; he was nearly purged twice by Stalin; he flourished under Khrushchev and died while Brezhnev was in power. Shostakovich was a survivor and a great composer, and his fear and self-loathing, his courage and experience found their way into his music. As such, Shostakovich is not just the most important composer of string quartets and symphonies from the 1920s to the 1970s; even more, he and his music stand as witnesses to the rise and failures of the Soviet Union, one of the defining events of the 20th century.

Pete Nowlen, director
Works for concert band derived from folk music, including—
Chen Yi: Suite from China West [China]
Holst: Second Suite [England]
Grant Cottier: Fantasy on an Old French Carol—Noël des Oiseaux [France]
$12 Students and Children, $24 Adults (Open Seating)

Caleb Lewis, director
Conrad Susa: Carols and Lullabies
$12 Students and Children, $24 Adults (Open Seating)

J.S. Bach Complete Brandenburg Concertos

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) returns to the Mondavi Center to perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, works that unfailingly provide spiritual fulfillment for music lovers of all faiths and beliefs, inspiring strength at year’s end and a vision of the brightest future. The artistic core of CMS is a multigenerational, dynamic repertory company comprised of an evolving and unparalleled roster of performers. Demonstrating the belief that the future of chamber music lies in engaging and expanding the audience, these expert chamber musicians draw more people to the genre than any other organization of its kind.

Come take advantage of study space at the Mondavi Center with plenty of table space, outlets, and lots of natural light. Group study is available in the main lobby where classical music will be played. Silent study space is available in Vanderhoef Studio Theatre. Complimentary coffee and tea will be served.

For 31 years, Boston Brass has set out to establish a one-of-a-kind musical experience. The ensemble’s lively repertoire, touched with humor and personality, attempts to bridge the ocean of classical formality and delight audiences with an evening of great music and boisterous fun. For this holiday concert, Boston Brass performs the swinging seasonal chart-toppers made famous by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, combined with some solo and combo selections as well as fun surprises.

Las Cafeteras, the “uniquely Angeleno mishmash of punk, hip hop, beat music, cumbia and rock,” (Los Angeles Times) are remixing roots music and telling modern-day stories. Using traditional instruments infused with fresh remixing and multilingual lyricism, the band uses music as a vehicle to build cultural bridges and create “a world where many worlds fit.” Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, the Villalobos Brothers are internationally acclaimed as one of today’s leading contemporary Mexican ensembles, creating original compositions and arrangements that masterfully blend the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music.

An Uncorked Event, featuring wines from Boeger Winery.

Pianist Lara Downes and vocalist Theo Bleckmann present a duo cabaret showcasing the music of Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington and Kurt Weill. A window into the lives and music of these composers as they captured the quickly-changing world of the 1940s, In Our Time is nostalgic yet timeless, and infused with the magnetic charisma for which Downes and Bleckmann are recognized. Inspired by Downes’ recent tribute album For Lenny, the evening will feature works by Bernstein and his fellow travelers through mid-century America: Marc Blitzstein, Charlie Chaplin, Duke Ellington, Morton Gould, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Kurt Weill.

Singers, poets and emcees: Come share your artistry with community. Hosted by MC CoCo Blossom with DJ Lady Char. Come ready to perform, support friends or just enjoy the show.

Sign-ups — 5:30-6 p.m.
Open Mic — 6-9 p.m.

Open Mic Nights@MC are held quarterly for UC Davis students and community youth.

From his youth, André Mehmari’s musical sensibility has known no borders, freely flowing between Frédéric Chopin, Scott Joplin and Ernesto Nazareth. From this wide-ranging foundation of his native Brazilian music, classical and jazz, the pianist and composer has forged a language of tremendous expressive power. His discography (more than 20 albums to date) and extensive list of collaborators speaks to the powerful pull of his curiosity, with the common thread being Mehmari’s blend of lyricism, dynamism and elegance.