Steinway Society —The Bay Area
Kicks Off 2006-2007 Season with Leon Fleisher

San Jose, CA. July 21, 2006 – Steinway Society’s 2006-07 piano series will feature an eight concert subscription, October 2006 through May 2007, at the newly renovated Le Petit Trianon Theatre in downtown San Jose.  Legendary pianist Leon Fleisher will kick-off the season in a unique recital appearance. After a long absence from the stage as a recitalist, his recent comeback has been celebrated throughout the music world.  This will be Mr. Fleisher’s debut recital in the San Jose area.  In addition to the subscription series, Steinway Society —The Bay Area presents three Community Concerts throughout the season that are free to the public;this summer Steinway Society introduces “The Midsummer Music Youth Camp,” a summer music camp at San Jose State University, School of Music & Dance, July 21-23, 2006, as part of its education outreach.
“I congratulate our Artistic Committee on creating what promises to be our most exciting season yet,” Janie Horton, President of Steinway Society —The Bay Area commented. "A roster of world class pianists will come to San Jose in 2006-07, including performers with a variety of international backgrounds as well as some with local connections.  I invite anyone with an interest in good music to come experience the thrill of superb live piano performances in a beautiful and intimate setting.”

Full Fare Series 8

The 2006-07 season offers a subscription of eight concerts featuring a wide array of pianists from the legendary to newly discovered, up-and-coming artists.

Oct. 7 & 8: Leon Fleisher. Renowned pianist, conductor and teacher, Mr. Fleisher returns to the stage playing with both hands; a much anticipated performance after a long absence due to a neurological disorder on his right hand. For half his career he performed the limited repertoire composed for left hand alone.  Now, to everyone’s excitement, he is returning to the stage, fully equipped with two hands, to perform works by Stravinsky, Mozart and – with pianist Katherine Jacobson "four-hand'' works by Schubert and Ravel.

Oct. 29: Sa Chen. Billed as one of the top three contemporary Chinese virtuoso pianists, along with Lang Lang and Yundi Li, Chen, at age 25, finished third in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She will perform Mozart, Chopin, Albeniz and Liszt.

Nov. 12: Sara Davis Buechner. A slight departure from the classical repertoire, this program is themed "The Roaring Twenties in Sight and Sound!'' Audiences will delight in the piano music of the 20’s including novelty pieces and rags. This inventive program incorporates screenings of three silent cartoons from that era.

Feb. 11, 2007: Kevin Kenner. His fabulously romantic renditions have moved Steinway Society audiences to tears. Winner of the 1990 International Chopin Competition, he returns to work his magic. Kenner will perform Beethoven, Schumann, Paderewski and Chopin.

March 4, 2007: Pola Baytelman. Born in Santiago, Chile, and known for her passionate interpretations of Latin American works, she will perform Ginastera, Villa-Lobos, Schumann and others.
March 25, 2007: Jonathan Bass. Local demand for this pianist prompted Steinway Society to feature this former San Jose State University faculty member. We think we have discovered a real gem. He will perform Bach, Chopin, Scriabin and Barber.

April 29, 2007: Nikolai Demidenko. A longtime favorite of audiences throughout Europe and Asia, Demidenko makes his debut in San Jose. His program will include Bach, a Liszt transcription of Bach, and Schumann.

May 13, 2007: Young Artists. This annual event features regional and international competition winners including Young Pianist's Beethoven Competition, the Russian Piano Music International Competition among others. Hear fresh and memorable young talent.

Community Concert Series

Over the past three seasons Steinway Society has presented an outreach program consisting of three one-hour concerts that are free to the general public. These concerts are held at Le Petit Trianon and Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph during the afternoon hours. These programs are designed to be family-friendly, educational and entertaining for great audience appeal. The series is made possible by grants from the Arts Council Silicon Valley, City of San Jose, and Community Foundation Silicon Valley.

Sept. 10, 2006, 2:30 PM featuring Kenric Tam, solo piano.
Dates and times of the following performances will be announced at a later time.

MIDSUMMER MUSIC YOUTH CAMP

In its inception year, the music camp is spearheaded by the educational arm of the organization. The program focuses on professional development for the young, more advanced musician. Students will attend workshops, master classes and presentations that focus on honing their skills in sight-reading, ensemble performance, stage presentation, controlling stage fright, entering competitions, and other basics in pursuing a music career. A grant from the Community Foundation Silicon Valley helps fund this program.  More information will be available at website: www.steinwaythebayarea.com

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1994, Steinway Society—The Bay Area is a non-profit volunteer-based presenting organization.  Its mission:  “To promote excellence in piano performance and music education in the Bay Area.”   The organization is now recognized as one of the gems in the cultural life of San Jose and the south Bay Area by offering a unique set of piano recitals in an intimate setting.  In addition to presenting a piano series, the organization has an educational arm that reaches out to assist young pianists in need with financial aid, provides scholarships to various music programs, and produces a program in collaboration with Arts Express called “History of Piano Music in America.”

Le Petit Trianon Theatre
The newly renovated Le Petit Trianon Theatre’s 340 seat hall is acoustically without rival.  Every seat in the house provides an up-close and personal experience of these beautiful recital performances.  Complementing the splendid acoustics is the exquisite tone of the hall’s Steinway D concert grand; many of our featured artists have praised its quality and are eager to return.  Additionally, the completion of the new San Jose City Hall and Rotunda one-half block away has prompted the renovation of the area surrounding the theatre.  Among the many improvements is the expansion of North Fifth Street into a wide, tree-lined promenade with decorative sculptures, new street lamps, and a new parking structure.

TICKET INFORMATION

STEINWAY SOCIETY the BAY AREA, 2006-07 SEASON

Where: Le Petit Trianon, 72 N. Fifth St., San Jose; office telephone (408) 295-6500
When: Oct. 7 to May 13, 2007

Subscriptions: (available now) $150-$260 for the full eight-concert series ($140-$220 for seniors, $120-$150 for students); $98-$170 for four concerts ($85-$160 for seniors, $75-$110 for students). Subscribers receive priority seating and 20 percent off additional single tickets.

To order subscriptions: Box Office (408) 286-2600, extension 23; fax (408) 295-6518

Single tickets: Available August 1st  $30-$65 ($25-$60 for seniors, $20-$55 for students)

Information: (408) 295-6500;  E-mail:steinwaysociety@trianontheatre.com
Website: www.steinwaythebayarea.com