Berkeley Symphony

Top quality. This is a «period orchestra» i.e., a specialist in music written post 1940. That is not to say you’ll never hear Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn etc. — those guys inspired the composers you’ll hear here. You’ll get to hear outstanding compositions that you don’t already own in your vast CD collection, and conductor Joana will let you know why. Programs are oriented to hang well together.
Composer in residence, Gabriela Lena Frank will help keep them on track.
Joana Carneiro, already of International fame, hails by way of Lisbon, Portugal and assoc. of the L.A. Phil under Esa Pekka Solonen brings a new vitality to the pit. Kent Nagano whose baton ruled the roost for 25 years will occasionally pop in from the Bavarian State Opera, or Montréal Symphony for old times sake.
This is not a competitor to SFO or OEBS, it is a cohesive group of professional musicians with a uniquely exciting playlist.
Come early for composer & conductors confab.
Four or Five concerts per year, phenomenally active Music in the Schools program in all of Berkeley’s elementary schools, and several in-​progress concerts by living composers.