Valley of the Moon Music Festival presents
The Virtual Beethoven Festival
The Virtual Beethoven Festival
During our annual Festival period we will explore some of Beethoven’s smaller chamber works while carefully respecting current health guidelines. These performances will be livestreamed with internationally recognized musicians from the Bay Area, who will carry the spirit of the annual festival until all of our participating artists can join us live in 2021. All musicians originally contracted for the 2020 Festival have received 50% of their fee as part of VMMF’s commitment to taking care of our Festival Artists.
VMMF musicians and scholars in the Festival’s Blattner Lecture Series will introduce each concert and provide commentary. Speakers include Nicholas Mathew, author of Political Beethoven and Associate Professor in the Department of Music at UC Berkeley, Nicholas McGegan, former Artistic Director at Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and Kate van Orden, Harvard University’s Dwight P. Robinson, Jr. Professor of Music.
Moonlight in the Valley of the Moon
SATURDAY JULY 18 @ 4PM
Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”)
Beethoven, Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, WoO 46, for cello and piano
Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30, No. 3
Francisco Fullana, violin
Tanya Tomkins, cello
Eric Zivian, fortepiano
SUNDAY JULY 19 @ 4PM
Beethoven, Violin Sonata, Op. 12, No. 2
Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36,
arranged for Piano Trio by the composer
Francisco Fullana, violin
Tanya Tomkins, cello
Audrey Vardanega, fortepiano
Eric Zivian, fortepiano
SUNDAY AUGUST 2 @ 4PM
Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
Beethoven, Piano Trio in E–flat major, Op.70 No.2
Francisco Fullana, violin
Tanya Tomkins, cello
Audrey Vardanega, fortepiano
Eric Zivian, fortepiano
FESTIVAL ARTISTS
The violin sonatas of Beethoven will be performed by Avery Fisher Grant recipient and rising star Francisco Fullana, currently based in Palo Alto.
Berkeley-based Audrey Vardanega, a pupil of Richard Goode with a special interest in historical pianos, will be making her VMMF debut.
Soprano Maya Kherani, familiar to Bay Area audiences for her acclaimed roles with Opera Parallèle, Opera San Jose and West Edge Opera will also be joining the proceedings.
Finally, Bay Area favorite, violist Liana Bérubé will return for her fifth season with the festival.
