Donato Cabrera, the California Symphony’s artistic and music director, will delve into the intricacies of conducting classical music at the First Friday Forum on Jan. 9 at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church.
The California Symphony’s artistic and music director will share insider stories about symphonies and symphony conductors when he speaks at the First Friday Forum (FFF) at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church (LOPC) on Jan. 9.
Donato Cabrera’s talk, entitled “The Role of the Symphony Conductor and Highlights of Some Maestros,” will look at the conductor’s role through video clips and stories about orchestra conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, He will highlight how different conductors direct a piece of music and demonstrate different conducting styles – from subtle gestures to using the whole body in crowd-pleasing, fiery flourishes.
“Cabrera is a very warm, charming man and I think people would enjoy his presentation,” said Sue Farmer, who works with the FFF.
In 2013, Cabrera was appointed to lead the California Symphony, which performs at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.
As resident conductor for the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009 to 2016, he conducted education and family concerts and helped to create a program inviting amateur musicians of all ages to get coaching and onstage performance time at Davies Symphony Hall.
He has also conducted for the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Ballet, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Cabrera looks for adventurous programming, and is a leading advocate for living composers and digital innovation. He is also focused on outreach, engagement and programming that reflects the communities he is serving.
When interviewed by Diablo Magazine regarding his personal play list, he mentioned, “Miles Davis, Rush, Radiohead, Dvořák, Schubert and the Beatles.”
Sponsored by the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church (LOPC), this is a free event and available on campus at 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. Registration is not required. A recording will be posted at lopc.org/first-friday-forum when available. For more information, email fff@lopc.org.
