Singer and songwriter, Josh Groban, will perform at Power Balance Pavilion on Wednesday, August 24. Groban, a native of Los Angeles, recently released his fifth album. The surprisingly well-established 30 year old continues to expand his skills and interests, co-writing 11 out of the 13 titles on his newest album. Groban’s rich, classical voice is most often described as a tenor or baritone, his range exceeding the traditional expanse of both categories. Most recently, Groban made his debut film appearance in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” He also reappeared in the world of television, starting with his recent role as a judge in “Glee.” He is said to have a role in an upcoming episode of “The Of

The UC Davis Symphony Orchestra played a great rendition of “Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in A minor, op 102” composed by Johannes Brahms, and “Symphony No. 7 in C Major, op. 105 composed by Jean Sibelius” this pass Sunday. It’s easy to see why they were invited to tour the great symphony halls in Spain next year after such a great performance. The first half had a more classical feel, while the second half was more “organic.” The concert also featured two talented soloists, Andrea Segar and David Russell. The “Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in A minor” features three movements: Allegro, Adante and Vivace non troppo conducted by D. Kern Holoman. The opening move

Can a New Yorker magazine music critic connect a pre-1500s New-World dance form to Bob Dylan? Alex Ross, The New Yorker magazine classical music critic since 1996, does so in his latest book, “Listen to This,” which follows his critically acclaimed “The Rest is Noise.” Alex Ross will be appearing at the next California Lectures Monday evening at the Crest Theatre presenting “Chacona, Lamento, Walking Blues: Bass Lines of Music History.” “Things really opened up for me when I went to The New Yorker,” Ross said. At his previous job as classical music critic at the New York Times, he was “closely read” by those very seriously into classical music in New York City. He talked of having a mu

Here are some of the concerts and music events happening this weekend and next week in the Sacramento area. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to the www.eMusiConnect.com homepage.   Concerts, Music Events, and The Sacramento Music Scene This Week: Friday, June 4th: Friday Night Concerts in The Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th & J Streets in Sacramento. This week: Method Echo - The Nibblers - Live Manikins. Concerts are Free and run from 5-9PM. All Ages/Beer Garden for 21+ Cirque Du Soleil Alegria continues through Sunday at Arco Arena. Tickets are $40.00 - $90.00.  Friday, June 4th: Summer Soul Fest with Tony, Toni, Tone, Lisa Lisa, The Jets and more at

The Sacramento Community Theatre was a full house providing a warm and enthusiastic welcome to Anthony and Joseph Paratore last night. There were many reasons I loved the concert and I am sure the audience could add many more. The concert was the third program of the Sacramento Community Concerts 2009-2010 season. The two brothers played four music pieces of wide varieties all composed for two pianos, the first half featured Russian composers and the second American. Both Anthony and Joseph were equally skillful and accomplished pianists with outstanding musicality. Yet, they showed contrasting personalities on stage and it made the concert even more interesting. Joseph with long and cu

Concert pianist Sachiko Kato will perform Bach’s Goldberg Variations on Sunday, December 20, at 3 p.m. The hour-long performance will take place in Capistrano Hall at Sacramento State. Concerts are free to members of the Crocker Art Museum, $12 for nonmembers and $5 for students and seniors. Free parking is available in Parking Structure I, which is adjacent to the Hall. The Goldberg Variations, composed in 1742, is one of Bach’s masterpieces, but it is not often performed in concert due to the complexity and length of the work. Kato will open the concert with a work by contemporary Japanese composer Somei Satoh titled Hashi (Bridges) II. A native of Osaka, Japan, Kato grew up in Los Ang

Few concert experiences are as moving as those for live classical music. An orchestra can fill even the largest venue with clear trebles and thundering bass. The Sacramento Philharmonic is no exception. Thanks in part to sponsorships by the National Endowment for the Arts, Target and the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Sacramento Philharmonic is putting on a first-time venture of five nights in a row of free neighborhood concerts. The first show in the series was Thursday night at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center in Natomas. Though the venue could hold many more, about 75 children, parents and couples laughed at two playful introductory pieces before intermission, followed by the

On Saturday November 21, 2009, Camellia Symphony Orchestra opened its 2009/2010 season with the program titled “Prodigies from St. Petersburg” featuring three Russian composers, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Sergey Prokofiev conducted by Music Director Allan Pollack. This was my first time listening to Camellia Symphony Orchestra. Being a community orchestra, the sound, harmony and overall quality of the musicianship were impressive. The night’s first piece was Overture on Three Russian Themes by Rimsky-Korsakov based on three Russian folk songs. The entrance of the first movement with the string section took us to a scene of pastoral and joyful Russian villages right

A cold and rainy Sunday afternoon seemed to brighten with the warm and transcendent music of Bach’s Goldberg Variations performed by Canadian virtuoso, Angela Hewitt. As I found my seat, an hour before the performance, at the beautiful concert hall at the Mondavi Center in Davis, I saw Hewitt standing on the stage discussing the monumental work she was about to perform. Her lecture demonstrated a deep respect for the composition and skill in translating the complex structure of the piece to a lay audience. Hewitt has played the Goldberg Variations thousands of times since age 16 and she is known worldwide for her performance and interpretation of Bach on the piano. Yet, she stressed she