Arts & Events
AROUND AND ABOUT MUSIC: Ojai Festival in Berkeley with Kaija Saariaho's 'La Passion de Simone' (Joana Carneiro conducting) & Tyshawn Sorey's 'Josephine Baker: A Portrait'
The Ojai Festival, with music director Peter Sellars, celebrating its 70th year of musical performances in the famous valley town southeast of Santa Barbara, will be hosted by Cal Performances in three Berkeley shows on the UCcampus next week:
Thursday, June 16, Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's opera of the life of philosopher Simone Weil, 'La Passion de Simone,' with text by Amin Maalouf, will be performed by soprano Julia Bullock in a new chamber version (its US premiere at Ojai this weekend) with ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) and Roomful of Teeth vocal ensemble, conducted by Joana Carneiro, directed by Peter Sellars, at Zellerbach Playhouse. Saariaho was eminently in Berkeley last fall as Ernest Bloch Lecturer for the Music Department, appearing in various forums and concert settings throughout the Bay Area. Her music has been previously performed by Berkeley Symphony and other orchestras and ensembles throughout Northern California.
Friday the 17th will feature Dina El Wedidi & Band in 'Sounds of Tahrir Square, Cairo' at Zellerbach Hall. El Wedidi was hdere through Cal Performances a year ago this winter at Zellerbach
On Saturday the 18th, Tyshawn Sorey's 'Josephine Baker: A Portrait' will be performed by Julia Bullock with ICE and the composer, at Zellerbach Playhouse. All shows at 8 pm; tickets $20, Festival Pass $45. 642-9988; calperformances.com
Saariaho's 'Only the Sound Remains,' from two Noh plays translated by Ezra Pound, which were originally announced for Takigi (torchlight) Noh-style performance at Ojai and in Berkeley, have been canceled due to technical difficulties
