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Our 40th anniversary in 2023-24 showcased alumni, faculty, and friends from across the decades in a year-long celebration. Filled with sublime performances, original commissions, and a new chamber music festival, the celebration culminated with a Hertz Hall concert and reunion at Crowden.

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World Premiere 40th Anniversary Commission

Our Anniversary commemorations officially began at last May's Crowden School Spring concert, where our inspiring young musicians and conductor Eugene Sor premiered our first 40th anniversary commission, Capybaraology by alum Gabriella Smith ('05, John Adams Young composers Program). Watch the riveting performance below!

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Sundays @ Four Concerts featuring illustrious Crowden alumni & faculty

Baumer String Quartet

Sunday
September 17, 2023

40th Anniversary Launch Party!

Cellist Jay Campbell, Crowden School '03

Jay Campbell ('03), cello

Sunday
November 12, 2023

Fry Street Quartet

Fry Street Quartet

Sunday
March 3, 2024

Catalyst Quartet

Catalyst
Quartet

Sunday
April 21, 2024

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Chamber Music Festival with the Alexander String Quartet

Crowden was proud to present a chamber music festival with longtime friends and mentors the Alexander String Quartet. 

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February 17, 2024, 7pm

Faculty Concert: Alexander String Quartet

The inaugural festival faculty concert featured the incomparable Alexander String Quartet on Saturday, February 17, 7pm 

Program: Tarik O'Regan: Gradual; Leoš Janáček: String Quartet, No. 1, Kreutzer Sonata; Jean Sibelius: String Quartet, Op. 56 in D minor, Voces Intimate

Our History

Alumni Voices

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40th Anniversary Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-26, 2024

40th Anniversary Concert

SOLD OUT! NO TICKETS AVAILABLE AT DOOR
May 25, 2024, 6:30pm
Hertz Hall (101 Cross-Spraul Path, UC Berkeley)

PROGRAM

World premiere!
Arches
by Samuel Adams (’00)

Octet in E-Flat Major, Op. 20
by Felix Mendelssohn

Carrot Revolution
by Gabriella Smith (’05)

Primavera Porteña (from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
by Astor Piazzolla

Four Traditional Pieces
by Gordon Getty (40th Anniversary Concert Honoree)

Pizzicato Sonatina
by Nicole Targosz (16 year-old John Adams Young Composers Program student)

True Colors
by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 (II. Modinha)
by Heitor Villa-Lobos  

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (an Anne Crowden favorite)

Fiddle Faddle
by LeRoy Anderson (Crowden's traditional concert closer)

FEATURED PERFORMERS & COMPOSERS

Celebrated composer
Samuel Adams (‘00)

Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet
(Karla Donehew Perez ‘99)

Globally acclaimed concert violinist and pedagogue
Nora Chastain

Crowden faculty conductor
Rachel Durling

Crowden 40th Anniversary Concert Honoree, composer
Gordon Getty

San Francisco Chamber Orchestra Conductor
Jory Fankuchen (‘91)

New music experts
Friction Quartet

Acclaimed NY-based Crowden summer faculty violinist
Ariana Kim

Crowden faculty conductor
La Nell Martin (Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir)

Pittsburgh Symphony Co-concertmaster
David McCarroll (‘99)

Menuhin Competition-winner, violinist
Kenneth Renshaw (‘08)

Former Crowden and SFCO Music Director
Benjamin Simon

Renowned composer
Gabriella Smith (‘05, John Adams Young Composers Program)

Crowden Artistic Director
Eugene Sor

Nicole Targosz
(16-year-old John Adams Young Composers Program student)

Virtuoso pianist
Audrey Vardanega (‘09)

SF Ballet Orchestra violinist
Mariko Wyrick (‘06)

Crowden students, faculty, alumni, and friends, including Quartet San Francisco founding violinist Jeremy Cohen, Abigail Rojansky ('03) of the distinguished Verona Quartet, and Alexander String Quartet and Crowden summer members Zakarias Grafilo, David Samuel, and Sandy Wilson.

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Thank You to Our Sponsors

40th ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND CO-CHAIRS

Shelby & Frederick Gans, Bruce Burnam

40th Anniversary Concert Honoree

Gordon Getty

Honorary Co-Chairs

John Adams and Bonnie Hampton

40th Anniversary Honorary Committee

Alexander String Quartet
Mason Bates
Jeremy Cohen
Deirdre Cooper
Lois De Domenico
Paul Dresher
Gabriela Lena Frank
Jeremy Geffen
Wei He
Jake Heggie
Daniel Hope
Leila Josefowicz
Kronos Quartet
Ming Luke
Yo-Yo Ma
Brigitte Mancini
Susie Medak
John and Helen Meyer
Jonathan Moscone
Susan Muscarella

Evan Price
Garrick Ohlsson
Joshua Robison
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Frederica von Stade
David Stull
Telegraph Quartet
Michael Tilson Thomas
Mads Tolling
Joseph Young

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Promoter Sponsor

Media Sponsor

The Crowden School is growing!» Announcing Kindergarten starting Fall 2025
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