Is tango toxic? Take a chance at Primo Congo (May 28) when Cadenza ODs on the “pessimistic, fatalistic…deeply dramatic…particularly dark vision of life and death” (as critic Juan Arturo Brennan describes the musical soul of Argentina). Alchemist and conductor Maya Barsacq cooks up Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, featuring violinist Cynthia Baehr plus Mesut Ozgen in a guitar concerto by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, along with other works, whetting an appetite for this summer’s music festivals. (www.scmusic.org). On June 4, the Santa Cruz Symphony teams up once again with the White Album Ensemble at Santa Cruz Civic. www.santacruzsymphony.org. Then New Music Works throws its annual Avant Garden Party all afternoon on June 5 in Soquel, featuring the gypsy rumba and salsa band Kaweh. www.newmusicworks.org.
The Carmel Bach Festival (July 16–30) welcomes new music director Paul Goodwin and concertmaster Peter Hanson for two full weeks of baroque, classical and newer music at Sunset Center, Carmel Mission and other venues. Pianist Stephen Prutsman and the Festival Strings play Bach and jazz by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and Joe Zawinal, as well as Turkish music. Beethoven and Haydn share top billing with the Festival’s namesake. www.bachfestival.org.
To celebrate Marin Alsop’s 20th anniversary at the helm of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, a record 15 composers will take up residence in Santa Cruz from July 31 through Aug. 13 and at San Juan Bautista Aug. 14. Seven world premieres, by Mark Adamo, John Corigliano, Michael Daugherty, Avner Dorman, Zosha Di Castri, Chiayu and Philip Glass, specifically honor Alsop; the festival also features nine West Coast and two U.S. premieres. Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet makes his Festival debut in James MacMillan’s Piano Concerto No. 3 Mysteries of Light and in Behzadran Ranjbaran’s Concerto for Piano. Principal horn Kristin Jurkscheit will introduce Chiayu’s Xuan Zang (horn concerto) with the composer present. www.cabrillomusic.org
Speaking of Philip Glass, his new-this-year Days and Nights Festival runs Aug. 19–Sept. 4 at Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley Village (with a couple of events at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur). From the keyboard Glass will lead his 10-member ensemble in programs of music and dance. www.daysandnightsfestival.com
The Kronos Quartet makes a return appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Sept. 16–18 at the Monterey Fairgrounds. Other major acts—among 500 performers—include Ahmad Jamal, Roy Hargrove, Harry Connick, Jr., Chick Corea, Les McCann, Marcus Roberts, Billy Childs, Dianne Reeves and the Septeto Nacional de Cuba. www.montereyjazzfestival.org
