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The Music Scene

A Memorable Intimate Concert at KDFC

On Monday, October 22, 2007, I was one of the 20 fortunate listeners who had been invited to attend a private concert at the KDFC Classical Music Station. It was the inaugural intimate concert reception with Canadian pianist and composer Marc-Andre Hamelin, the night before his recital at the San Francisco Performances.

It was a warm evening at 5:00 PM when I arrived at the KDFC Classical Music Station, just steps away from the Museum of Modern Art in the downtown area. Radio hosts Dianne Nicolini, John Evans and staff gave us a warm welcome.  Before the private concert and while we were waiting for the grand piano to be tuned, the KDFC program director Bill Lueth gave us a tour of the station. During the tour, We enjoyed the picturesque views of San Francisco from the 12th floor windows before we visited the music archive room packed with sliding shelves housing about 2,500 CDs. Then, Bill Lueth showed us the equipment inside the broadcasting studio and demonstrated how radio hosts usually work.

After the tour, we were served a variety of drinks before the concert. 

At about 5:30 PM, pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin gave us a brief description of the pieces he was going to play: Sonata in B minor by Franz Joseph Haydn, Sonata No. 3 in B minor by Frederic Chopin,  and Prelude Book II by Claude Debussy. Then, the beautiful notes were dancing from his fingers across the keyboard of the grand piano,  filling the hall with flying sparking musical colors. 

An encore followed by a standing ovation concluded the enjoyable concert.  After the concert, Mr. Hamelin talked about how he usually works on pieces with a wide range of musical styles and how he handles his busy performance schedules around the world.  Then, he mingled with the audience.

A standing ovation:

  

 

Rewarding Experience

In July 2004, I entered the listeners’ contest of
My Three Sonatas held by KDFC Classical Music
Radio Station 102.1 FM.

The contest requirement of My Three Sonatas
was that one must suggest 3 pieces of classical music that share the same theme.  The theme I chose was “spring” with the following 3 compositions whose orchestral styles range from the Baroque era, Romantic era to the turn of the 20th Century:
  • The Spring movement from the Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
  • The Spring Symphony (Op. 38 in B flat major) by Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
  • Printemps by Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
On Monday, July 19, 2004, I got an e-mail from the Program Director of Classical 102.1 KDFC:
“Happy Monday!  As you may have heard, we used your suggestion during our My Three Sonatas weekend, and that means we’ll be sending you a CD-3-pack from the KDFC prize stash.  Many thanks, and thanks for listening, Rik”