Benjamin Grosvenor and Charlie Albright highlight Steinway Society Season 24

San Jose, CA – A line-up of international piano stars awaits classical music lovers in the 24th season of Steinway Society - The Bay Area. The season launches on September 15 and includes a concert each month through May 11, 2019.

“This season’s artists are all top international performers who are widely praised for their depth of artistry as well as their audience appeal,” said Lorrin Koran, MD, President of the Board for Steinway Society — The Bay Area. “They are artists that add greatly to the luster of the classical music coming to Silicon Valley next season."

THE CONCERT LINE-UP:

• September 15 (Saturday) - Zlata Chochieva –Gramophone includes her in their Top Ten Chopin CDs; her Rachmaninoff is so masterful that at age 12 she gave a recital shown on Russian TV.
• October 13 (Saturday) - Vladimir Ovhinnikov – The only pianist to win the top prize at both the Tchaikovsky and the Leeds Competitions. He is now a professor at the Moscow Conservatory.
• November 11 (Sunday) - Henry Kramer - Laureate of the 2017 American Pianist Association Awards and lauded as “triumphant” and “thrilling” by The New York Times.  
• December 8 (Saturday) – Sandra Wright Shen - A Bay Area treasure, international star, and Steinway Artist who is among Silicon Valley’s most treasured classical musicians.  
• January 12, 2019 (Saturday) - Kate Liu -  First Prize winner at both at the New York and the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Competitions, she has appeared on PBS’s “From the Top at Carnegie Hall.”
• February 10 (Sunday) – Vyacheslav Gryaznov – He thrilled our audience receiving three encores in 2016, has played Berlin Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall, and composes piano transcriptions that are popular world-wide. 
• March 12 (Tuesday) – Benjamin Grosvenor – One of the world’s most sought-after pianists, he has been featured in two BBC documentaries and is the youngest British musician ever signed by Decca Classics.
• April 6 (Saturday) –  Nikolay Khozyainov - The New York Times praised his “stunning virtuosity and prodigious technique.” His sold-out concerts bear witness to that.
• May 11 (Saturday) – Charlie Albright – Praised by The New York Times for his “jaw-dropping technique and virtuosity meshed with a distinctive musicality” the super-star American pianist has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Joshua Bell, and Yo-Yo Ma.

PERFORMANCE LOCATIONS: All performances in the 2018-19 season will be held at the Trianon Theatre, 72 North 5th Street in downtown San Jose, with the exception of the October 13 and March 12 concerts which will be held at McAfee Performing Arts Center at 20300 Herriman Avenue (just off Saratoga Sunnyvale Road) in Saratoga.    

TICKETS/INFO: www.steinwaysociety.com or (408) 990-0872

Season Subscriptions (8 concerts) range from $225 to $360

Mini-Series Subscription (4 concerts) range from $125 to $200

Single Tickets: $40-$60. Senior/Student Discounts Available      

PHOTOS: International piano star Benjamin Grosvenor, in solo recital March 12, 2019, is among the celebrated pianists coming to Silicon Valley in the 24th season of Steinway Society - The Bay Area. The season kicks off on September 15, 2018 and includes notables such as Sandra Wright Shen who is bringing a holiday concert in December, and noted American pianist Charlie Albright, who has performed with Joshua Bell and Yo-Yo Ma.  Benjamin Grosvenor photos courtesy of Steinway Society – The Bay Area.

ABOUT US: Steinway Society - The Bay Area is a non-profit organization, based in Silicon Valley. Now entering its 24th year in San Jose, this dedicated group of musicians, pianists, teachers and arts lovers promotes excellence in piano performance and music education. Each season, Steinway Society presents a series of classical piano concerts featuring international award-winning pianists, and works with students and school leaders to bring musical performances to the schools.

For more information on Season Subscriptions, the artists and Steinway Society, visit www.SteinwaySociety.com 

The SoFA Street Fair this Sunday

One of the best free music events in the South Bay rocks out this Sunday, April 22nd. This year the SoFA Street Fair is bigger and better than ever. Four outdoor stages, 12 indoor venues, craft beer, gourmet food trucks, street vendors, and of course--sofas. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

The event runs from 2pm to 9pm and takes place on First Street from San Carlose to Parque de los Pobladores. Back Bar, Caffe Frscati, Forager, Haberdasher, Continental, ICA, the SoFA Market, and Uproar are just some of the venues hosting live music. For a list of bands and venues, click here.

For more info, head over to The SoFA Street Fair's Facebook page.

April 2018 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• The SJDA has agreed on five strategic goals for the next two years:
• Downtown Vision and Plan
• BART / Business Interruption Fund
• Safety
• Homelessness
• Downtown Branding and Identity
• More parking Smart Meters that support credit card payments will be added this summer to the SoFA area, Downtown perimeter, and Japantown.
• The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) received $200,000 from the Knight Foundation.
• Bishops Cuts / Color is now open at 1 S. Market.
• Tea Alley is open at 40 S. First St. [Josh: solid addition Downtown!]
• Skewers and Brew is now open at 66 S. First.
• Holy Cannoli is open inside Fuze nightclub at 58 S. First.
• Diridon Hospitality submitted plans to build a nine-story hotel with 254 rooms at 292 Stockton Ave.
• PATH is breaking ground on an 83 unit housing project near St. James Park.
• Sobrato is planning to construct a 204,000 SQFT office building at 353 W. Julian St.

To read the newsletter, click here!

San Jose is the 4th-best city for startups

Business.org crunched several factors such as the percentage of the population with advanced degrees, unemployment rates, startup growth rates, and rents to come up with the best cities in the US for startups. Despite having insanely high rents, San Jose still came in 4th place. SF took the top spot, followed by Austin and Minneapolis.

The percentage of young adults may have also been a factor that worked in other cities' favor. This was a criteria since this demographic tends to be early adopters. For the full list click the source link below.

Source: SVBJ

Fountain Alley Fridays tomorrow

Downtown San Jose's Fountain Alley neighborhood (between 1st and 2nd Street near Santa Clara Street) is hosting their latest Fountain Alley Fridays tomorrow. The free event features live music, poetry, stand-up comedy, and games. It runs from 7-9pm and is also scheduled for April 20, 27, and May 4th. For more info head over here!

Content 10.2 (Sight & Sound) Pick-up Party

Content Magazine is hosting a party to celebrate their latest issues on April 19th (entitled "Sight & Sound") at the San Jose Museum of Art (110 S. Market St.), one of my favorite museums in San Jose.

The event goes from 7pm-10pm and includes live music, pop-up artwork, and fashion designs from the Cilker School of Art & Design. Subscribers get a free drink ticket, an appetizer by Trifecta Cooks, and free admission to the museum (along with a guest). For more information, head over to the event's Facebook page.

Eastridge remodel is complete

Last week Eastridge unveiled their latest refresh. This was my neighborhood mall back in the day and I'm glad to see it's still alive and well unlike some other malls in the area (Vallco, Sunnyvale Town Center, etc.).

The $15 million renovation adds grassy lawns with play areas, a new food court, upgraded finishes, beautiful murals celebrating San Jose, and new programming to make the mall more of a destination. New events include food struck popups, a weekly art experience, and even a dog-friendly social events called "Yappy Hour Forth Fridays."

They also have a few new stores like a 8,400 SQFT Toni & Guy salon, H&M, and an eatery called Trifecta Cooks which landed a free retail space by wining a cooking contest.

For more info and a full event list, head over to the Eastridge FB page.

Source: SJ Economy Blog

New 27West renders

A skinny 22-story residential tower in Downtown San Jose's historic neighborhood is moving forward, albeit with a less unique design than what was originally proposed. The tower--currently named 27West--would be at 27 S. First St. in one of the more lively sections of Downtown. You might know the space as Local Color or remember it when it used to be Ross (or a furniture store called Black Sea Gallery before that). Good Karma, Paper Plane, Temple Bar, Nomakai, CREAM, Tea Alley, 55 South, and Original Gravity are all steps away from the proposed building.

27West would have a total of 350 residences and 5,100 SQFT of retail. I don't want to call the new design bland, but it is quite a bit less exciting than the previous renders. I also wish they did something with the roof like a small park, pool, or amenity space. It does appear to better blend into the neighborhood which features several historic buildings.

The developers behind 27West are hoping to begin construction by the end of the year and complete the tower in 2020.

Source: The Merc