Farallon Quintet
O1C Artists-in-Residence
Natalie Parker, clarinet; Dan Flanagan, violin; Matthew Oshida, violin; Elizabeth Prior, viola; Jonah Kim, cello
Jean Francaix Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet
Chad Cannon new clarinet quintet World Premiere
Jose Gonzalez Granero Paisajes World Premiere
Johannes Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
This performance is made possible in part by a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation
The Farallon Quintet, founded in the summer of 2012, is a dynamic Bay Area ensemble and the only professional chamber music group focused exclusively on the clarinet quintet—string quartet plus clarinet—repertoire. In addition to playing the classics, the quintet seeks to perform rarely heard works, innovative arrangements, and new music by living composers. The quintet is made up of leading Bay Area musicians who are principal players in such orchestras as the San Francisco Ballet, Santa Rosa Symphony, Marin Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Fremont Symphony, Modesto Symphony, and the Sacramento Philharmonic. As a group, the quintet is currently ensemble in residence at Old First Concerts in San Francisco and recently received grants from San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music and the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition. This concert will include the beloved Brahms Clarinet Quintet as well as the Francaix Clarinet Quintet, a relatively unknown French work. Highlighting the program will be two world premieres—a work about the Farallon Islands (the group’s namesake) by young Los Angeles composer Chad Cannon and Paisajes by Jose Gonzalez Granero, composer and clarinetist (principal clarinet of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra). The group takes its name from the Farallon Islands, located right off the coast of San Francisco. In addition to being a landmark location close to where the players live and work, its meaning—“pillar” or “steep rock” in Spanish—indicates the group’s vision to become an important “pillar” or “rock” in classical music by building awareness around the lesser known yet musically significant clarinet quintet repertoire. The Farallon Islands also represent the group’s inspiration which is founded in the simplicity and beauty of nature. In fact, the group is known to intersperse rehearsals with hikes in the mountains and road trips—all with the intent to discover the natural beauties of Northern California. For more information please visit farallonquintet.com