Music

Romantic concerto MUSIC

VIOLINIST Gabriel Anker will pair Tchaikovsky’s concerto with a work by Bach as part of a preview performance Feb. 16 for the upcoming Coyote Creek Music Festival.

Submitted photo

Violinist performs in festival’s third preview concert

By SUSAN L. RIFE

The perfect music for a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend is, in the opinion of violinist Gabriel Anker, Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in D Major. “For me, personally, no other piece for the violin represents love more purely,” said Anker, who will perform the concerto on Feb. 16 as the third preview concert for the upcoming Coyote Creek Music Festival.

The concerto was written by the Russian composer in 1878 in Switzerland as he struggled out of a depression after the end of his marriage. Scholars speculate that Tchaikovsky’s student, violinist Iosif Kotek, was a love interest of the composer, but that potential gossip about their relationship kept Tchaikovsky from dedicating the concerto to him.

Anker began working on the concerto after participating in last year’s NorCal Music Festival. A native of Puerto Rico, he was raised in Houston and earned his undergraduate degree in violin performance at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He’s finishing his master’s degree at the University of Southern California. “The Tchaikovsky concerto is pretty much synonymous with the violin,” Anker said. “I’ve been hearing it forever. It’s a piece that is pretty much required reading for everyone. It’s notoriously challenging but covers the full scope of the instrument.”

Anker, who will perform with pianist Elene Kartvelishvili, will pair the Tchaikovsky concerto with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita for Violin No. 1, written in 1790.

“I love performing Bach in general,” Anker said. “I find it’s music that changes the room instantly. This particular piece, well, solo Bach in general, I feel is a place where string musicians go for self-discovery.”

The partita, one of a set of six sonatas and partitas written for solo violin, is “maybe the most virtuosic of the six,” said Anker, because each of its four movements is followed by a variation, called a double.

“It’s constantly varying itself, even though it’s in the same key,” he said. “I feel like it works in contrast with the Tchaikovsky, practically speaking because it’s solo violin versus violin and orchestra, and metaphorically speaking, finding oneself and finding love, perhaps.” The Feb. 16 concert is the third of six concerts to preview the Coyote Creek Music Festival, which will take place June 12-21 at Advent Lutheran Church in Morgan Hill. Upcoming concerts in the series are Quintet Latino on March 14; soprano Heather Faulhaber with pianist Kyle Jones on April 26 and a string quartet with Anker, Kymber Gillen, violin, Kate Brown, viola, and Evan Kahn, cello, on May 31.

Gabriel Anker, violin, and Elene Kartvelishvili, piano, will perform at 5:30pm Feb. 16 at Advent Lutheran Church, 16875 Murphy Ave., Morgan Hill. Free; donations accepted. For information, visit www.coyotecreekmusic.org.

ACTIVE KIDS Kids are invited to groove it at Children’s Discovery Museum’s “Kids Like to Move It” Week. Boogie with dance instructors, enjoy activities with local sports teams and learn aerobics, Zumba and yoga moves at this event that is part of the museum’s commitment to childhood obesity prevention. Monday, Feb. 17-Friday, Feb. 21 at Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, 180 Woz Way, San Jose. Festivities are included in the price of admission. For information, visit cdm.org.

Aromas Grange, 400 Rose Ave. For tickets and information, visit tinyurl.com/vhk8t9s.

EVENTS

GAME NIGHT Morgan Hill Math invites families who like to have fun playing games of skill and logic to February’s Game Night. The Game Night program strives to provide an outlet for families to get together to socialize and have fun playing games. Most games will be appropriate for ages 8 to adult, but everyone is welcome at this free event. Gamers can meet Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7-8:30pm to play Blurt! The Uproarious Word Race Game in the El Toro Room, Morgan Hill Community Center, 17000 Monterey Road. For information, visit morganhillmath.org.

ART & WINE Clos LaChance will present an evening of art and wine. Intended for all experience levels, this paint night features guided step-by-step instruction on how to paint the featured painting of the night. Wine, by the glass and bottle, will be available for purchase throughout the evening. Tickets include instruction and a stemless glass to take home. Thursday, Feb. 20, 6-8pm at Clos LaChance Winery, 1 Hummingbird Lane, San Martin. For information, visit clos.com.

SPRING BARREL TASTING Sample a selection of La Vie Dansante 2017 Wines straight from the barrel before they are finished for bottling at the Spring Barrel Tasting Event. Winemaker Jeff Fadness will be presenting the wines and available to answer questions. Small bite food pairings will also be featured. Saturday, Feb. 22, 1-4pm at La Vie Dansante Wines, 3200 Dryden Ave., Gilroy. For information and tickets, visit laviedansantewines.com.

PASTA FEED The Operation Freedom Paws (OFP) Annual Pasta Feed is a night of all-you-can eat pasta. A variety of pasta for all tastes, salad and garlic bread will be available, with proceeds benefiting OFP. This non-profit organization matches disabled veterans, adults and children with rescued dogs and trains them together. Silent auctions, drawings and the opportunity to meet some OFP Service Dog Teams will also be featured. Saturday, Feb. 22, 6-9pm at Old City Hall, 7400 Monterey St., Gilroy. For tickets and information, visit operationfreedompaws.org.

DANCE PARTY Clos LaChance’s After Dark Dance Party features music as the lights are dimmed, the sound is turned up and HackJammers performs all evening long. Outside alcohol is not permitted, and attendees must be 21 or over. Tickets are not required; just join the party Saturday, Feb. 22, 7-10pm at Clos LaChance Wines, 1 Hummingbird Lane, San Martin. For information, visit clos.com.

TRIBUTE PERFORMANCE Rock with You: The Michael Jackson Tribute performs the greatest hits spanning Jackson’s entire career. Guests will enjoy authentic lead vocals, a band that replicates the music as it was written and a custom designed light show. Saturday, Feb. 22, 8-11:30pm at The District Theater, 7430 Monterey St., Gilroy. For tickets and information, visit tinyurl.com/vhc3j8k.

JAZZ NIGHT Award-winning Bay Area Jazz and R&B vocalist Tracy Cruz will perform at Gallery 1202’s Jazz Night. Cruz and her band, Instrumentali-T, will perform jazz numbers throughout the night while guests enjoy local wine and hors d'oeuvres. Jazz Night will be hosted amongst the abstract expressionist works of Helen Bellaver. Saturday, Feb. 22, 8-9:30pm at Gallery 1202, 7363 Monterey Road, Gilroy. For tickets and information, visit gallery1202.com.

WINERY YOGA Breathe, stretch and unwind during 75 minutes of yoga in the surroundings of Guglielmo Winery, the oldest continuously operating, familyowned winery in the Santa Clara Valley. After yoga head to the tasting room and try awardwinning, premium wines. During winter months yoga is held inside the Heritage Room. Dress in layers and bring a yoga mat. Sunday, Feb. 23, 10:45am–noon at Guglielmo Winery, 1480 East Main Ave, Morgan Hill. For information, visit artofyogamorganhill.com.

INTRO TO BEEKEEPING Arthur Kubogamell of the Gilroy Beekeepers Association will host “Intro to Beekeeping” at the Gilroy Library. Sunday, Feb. 23, 2-3pm at Gilroy Library, 350 W. Sixth St., Gilroy. For information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/wfxqq92.

GRANT REQUESTS The Gilroy Assistance League is now accepting grant requests for the year 2020 benefiting Gilroy youth organizations, schools and programs. Thanks to donors and sponsors, Gilroy Assistance League distributed $22,000 to various youth services in 2019. Submit a formal grant request proposal no later than Monday, Feb. 24. Forms may be downloaded at gilroyassistanceleague.org. For information, contact Lori Kent at lskent@charter.net.