Program Notes
Bria Skonberg
From the Executive and Artistic Director
Words cannot express my pleasure in welcoming you to this evening’s concert with the brilliant Bria Skonberg. Many of you will recall that Bria was featured last January as part of Cal Performances at Home, our well-received series that successfully delivered full-length, professionally produced, original programming to audiences in their own homes and during a time of social distancing. On that occasion, Bria and her terrific band knocked the ball out of the park with a rousing jazz concert filmed exclusively for Cal Performances at the Louis Armstrong House Museum Garden in Queens, New York City. I have no doubt that she and her colleagues will do the same again tonight, and I’m so happy you could join us for what promises to be a remarkable concert; it’s wonderful that we can gather together again, listening to great music under the same roof!
When the pandemic forced Cal Performances to close its doors in March 2020, no one could have imagined what lay ahead. Since then, we’ve witnessed a worldwide health crisis unlike any experienced during our lifetimes, an extended period of political turmoil, recurring incidents of civil unrest and racially motivated violence, and a consciousness-raising human rights movement that has forever—and significantly—changed how each of us views social justice in our time.
Of course, the pandemic remains with us to this date and future challenges—including many adjustments to “normal’ procedures and policies—can certainly be expected. I encourage you to check Cal Performances’ website regularly for the most current information regarding our COVID-19 response. First and foremost, I assure you that there is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our audience, artists, and staff. (And I remind one and all that proof of vaccination is mandatory today, as is protective masking throughout the event.)
Our season continues this month with performances by two Cal Performances audience favorites—the brilliant Danish String Quartet (Oct 10) and Takács Quartet (Oct 17)—and our full schedule offers more of the same, packed with the kind of adventurous and ambitious programming you’ve come to expect from Cal Performances. In particular, I want to direct your attention to this year’s Illuminations: “Place and Displacement” programming, through which we’ll explore both loss and renewal, disempowerment and hope, while seeking paths forward for reclaiming and celebrating vital cultural connections that can fall victim to political and social upheaval.
Please take the opportunity to explore our complete schedule through our website and season brochure and begin planning your performance calendar; now is the perfect time to guarantee that you have the best seats for all the events you plan to attend.
Throughout history, the performing arts have survived incredible challenges: periods of war, economic collapse, and, yes, terrible disease. And if it will take time for us—collectively and individually—to process the events of the past 18 months, I’m certain that the arts have the power to play a critical role as we come to terms with what we have experienced and move together toward recovery.
I know you join us in looking forward to what lies ahead, to coming together once again to encounter the life-changing experiences that only the live performing arts deliver. We can’t wait to share it all with you during the coming year.
Cal Performances is back. Welcome home!
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
Program
Bria Skonberg, vocals and trumpet
Mathis Picard, piano
Gabe Schnider, guitar
Adi Meyerson, bass
Darrian Douglas, drums
About the Artist
New York-based and Canadian-born singer, trumpeter, and songwriter Bria Skonberg has been described as one of the “most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (The Wall Street Journal). Skonberg has stormed onto the jazz scene with her smoky vocals, blistering trumpet, and compelling compositions and arrangements. The Juno Award winner has sung the music of Aretha Franklin alongside Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, played with U2 at the iconic Apollo Theater, sat in with the Dave Matthews Band, was a featured guest with Jon Batiste, performed as part of the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour, and sang the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for a New York Rangers game.
Skonberg’s fall 2019 album, Nothing Never Happens, offers striking originals and creative covers of Queen, the Beatles, Duke Ellington, and more. Produced by Grammy Award winner Eli Wolf, Nothing Never Happens invites listeners to join Skonberg in diverting attention from the overload of social media, breaking news, political bickering, and negative energy, with a stunning album that at times channels the ubiquitous anger and hopelessness that confronts us all in the modern media landscape, but at others manages to drown out that noise and shine a light on the serene and the celebratory. Described by Skonberg as being “grittier, bluesy-er, and funkier,” than her previous albums, its sounds are inspired by Tom Waits, Duke Ellington, and Memphis Soul.
Board of Trustees
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2021–2022
OFFICERS
Jeffrey MacKie-Mason, co-chair
Lance Nagel, co-chair
Joe Laymon, vice chair
Sara Wilson, vice chair
Shariq Yosufzai, treasurer and secretary
Susan Graham Harrison, trustee-at-large
Cary Koh, trustee-at-large
Helen Meyer, trustee-at-large
TRUSTEES
Nancy Aldritt
Carol T. Christ †
Naniette Coleman
Rupali Das
Grace Davert‡
Leland Dobbs
Hilary Fox
Jeremy N. Geffen†
Bernice Greene
Lynne Heinrich
Mackenzie Hsiao‡
Kit Leland
Sylvia R. Lindsey*
Jen Lyons
Leslie Maheras
Helen Meyer
Panos Papadopoulos
Rosemarie Rae
Linda Schieber
Françoise Stone
Leigh Teece
Augustus K. Tobes
Deborah Van Nest
Caroline Winnett
* Founding Trustee
† Ex Officio Trustee
‡ Student Representatives
FOUNDING TRUSTEES
Carole B. Berg
Merrill T. Boyce
Earl F. Cheit, Founding Chair
Robert W. Cole
Hon. Marie Collins
John Cummins
Ed Cutter
John C. Danielsen
Donald M. Friedman
Frederick Gans
Shelby Gans
Lynn Glaser
Reeve Gould
Margaret Stuart Graupner
Jean Gray Hargrove
Kathleen G. Henschel
Carol Nusinow Kurland
Kimun Lee
Donald A. McQuade
Ralph N. Mendelson
Marilyn Morrish
Anthony A. Newcomb
David Redo
Jim Reynolds
Madelyn Schwyn
Alta Tingle
Carol Jackson Upshaw
Julia Voorhies
Margaret Wilkerson
Wendy W. Willrich
Olly Wilson Jr.
Alvin Zeigler
EARL F. CHEIT SUSTAINING TRUSTEES
Eric Allman
Annette Campbell-White
Margot Clements
Diana Cohen
Hon. Marie Collins
Lynn Glaser
Kathleen G. Henschel
Liz Lutz
Eddie Orton
Jim Reynolds
Will Schieber
Carol Jackson Upshaw
Cal Performances Staff
Executive Office
Jeremy Geffen, Executive and Artistic Director
Kelly Brown, Executive Assistant to the Director
Administration
Andy Kraus, Deputy Executive Director
Marilyn Stanley, Finance Specialist
Gawain Lavers, Applications Programmer
Ingrid Williams, IT Support Analyst
Sean Nittner, Systems Administrator
Artistic Planning
Katy Tucker, Director of Artistic Planning
Robin Pomerance, Artistic Administrator
Tiffani Snow, Manager of Artistic Operations
Allee Pitaccio, Event Manager
Development
Taun Miller Wright, Chief Development Officer
Elizabeth Meyer, Director of Institutional Giving
Jennifer Sime, Associate Director of Development for Individual Giving
Jocelyn Aptowitz, Major Gifts Associate
Jamie McClave, Individual Giving and Special Events Officer
Education and Community Programs
Rica Anderson, Interim Director, Artistic Literacy
Human Resources
Judy Hatch, Human Resources Director
Shan Whitney, Human Resources Generalist
Marketing and Communications
Jenny Reik, Director of Marketing and Communications
Ron Foster-Smith, Associate Director of Marketing
Mark Van Oss, Communications Editor
Louisa Spier, Media Relations Manager
Cheryl Games, Web and Digital Marketing Manager
Elise Chen, Email Marketing Specialist
Lynn Zummo, New Technology Coordinator
Operations
Jeremy Little, Production Manager
Alan Herro, Production Admin Manager
Kevin Riggall, Head Carpenter
Matt Norman, Head Electrician
Tom Craft, Audio Department Head
Jo Parks, Video Engineer
Eric Colby, Venue Operations Manager
Ginarose Perino, Rental Business Manager
Guillermo Cornejo, Patron Experience Manager
Stage Crew
Charles Clear, Senior Scene Technician
David Ambrose, Senior Scene Technician
Jacob Heule, Senior Scene Technician
Jorg Peter Sichelschmidt, Senior Scene Technician
Joseph Swails, Senior Scene Technician
Mathison Ott, Senior Scene Technician
Mike Bragg, Senior Scene Technician
Ricky Artis, Senior Scene Technician
Robert Haycock, Senior Scene Technician
Mark Mensch, Senior Scene Technician
Student Musical Activities
Mark Sumner, Director, UC Choral Ensembles
Bill Ganz, Associate Director, UC Choral Ensembles
Matthew Sadowski, Director of Bands/Interim Department Manager, SMA
Ted Moore, Director, UC Jazz Ensembles
Brittney Nguyen, SMA Coordinator
Ticket Office
Liz Baqir, Ticket Services Manager
Gordon Young, Assistant Ticket Office Manager
Sherice Jones, Assistant Ticket Office Manager
Cal Performances
ANNUAL SUPPORT
Cal Performances gratefully acknowledges the following generous partners whose support enables us to produce artistic and educational programs featuring the world’s finest performing artists.
Institutional Contributors
$150,000 and above
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Koret Foundation
Jonathan Logan Family Foundation
Meyer Sound
$75,000–$149,999
The Bernard Osher Foundation
$50,000–$74,999
Bank of America
Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Student Services and Fees
Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Zellerbach Family Foundation
$25,000–$49,999
Anonymous
The Fremont Group Foundation
Walter & Elise Haas Fund
Rockridge Market Hall
Wells Fargo
$10,000–$24,999
California Arts Council
Clorox Company Foundation
The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
Kia Ora Foundation
Pacific Harmony Foundation
Quest Foundation
The Sato Foundation
Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust
Louise Laraway Teal Foundation
Ting & Associates at Merrill Lynch
U.S. Bank Foundation
$5,000–$9,999
City of Berkeley
Manicaretti Italian Food Importers
Gifts In Kind
Marin Academy
Individual Contributors
Cal Performances extends its sincere appreciation to the individuals who made gifts between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
100,000 and above
Anonymous* (4)
The Estate of Ross E. Armstrong
Nadine Tang
$50,000–$99,999
Anonymous
Diana Cohen and Bill Falik*
Michael A. Harrison and Susan Graham Harrison*
Helen and John Meyer
Maris and Ivan Meyerson*
Peter Washburn and Rod Brown
Gail and Daniel Rubinfeld*
$25,000–$49,999
Anonymous (4)
Beth DeAtley
Jerome and Thao Dodson
Sakurako and William Fisher
Bernice Greene
Daniel Johnson and Herman Winkel
Greg and Liz Lutz
Jeffrey MacKie-Mason and Janet Netz
Lance and Dalia Nagel
William and Linda Schieber
Leigh Teece
$10,000–$24,999
Another Planet Entertainment: Gregg and Laura Perloff*
John Adams and Deborah O’Grady
Art Berliner and Marian Lever
June Cheit
Margot and John Clements
Dr. Rupali Das-Melnyk and Dr. Ostap Melnyk
Jan Deming and Jeff Goodby
Barbara Dengler
Gordon Douglass and Pauline Heuring*
Hilary A. Fox
Marianne and Joseph Geagea
Lynne Heinrich
Kathleen G. Henschel and John W. Dewes
David and Susan Hodges
Charles and Helene Linker
Joel Linzner and Teresa Picchi
Richard and Jennifer Lyons
Susan Marinoff and Thomas Schrag
Patrick McCabe
Daniel and Beverlee McFadden
Donald J. and Toni Ratner Miller
Kathryn and Peter Muhs
Ditsa and Alex Pines
Rosemarie Rae
Judy Redo
Susan and Paul Teicholz
Deborah and Bob Van Nest
S. Shariq Yosufzai and Brian James
$5,000–$9,999
Anonymous (2)
Eric Allman and Kirk McKusick*
Lina Au and David Stranz
Stephen Bomse and Edie Silber
Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite
Hon. Marie Collins and Mr. Leonard Collins
Jacqueline Desoer
Bob Dixon
Lynn Feintech and Anthony Bernhardt
Sally Glaser and David Bower*
Corey Goodman and Marcia Barinaga
Al Hoffman and David Shepherd
Julie and Rob Hooper
Thomas King
Cary Koh
James and Katherine Lau
Sylvia R. Lindsey*
Kerri and Mark Lubin
Dorette P.S. Luke
Karen and John McGuinn
Nancy Orear and Teresa Basgall*
P. David Pearson and Barbara Schonborn
Trond Petersen
Rossannah Reeves
Margaret and Richard Roisman
Roger and Judity Rolke
Rachel and Matthew Scholl
Terrence Chan and Edward Sell
Warren Sharp and Louise Laufersweiler*
Larry and Pearl Toy
Laura D. Tyson and Erik S. Tarloff
Caroline Winnett
$3,500–$4,999
Claire and Kendall Allphin*
Brian Bock and Susan Rosin
David Clayton and Gayle DeKellis
Michael Dreyer and Harry Ugol
Jerry Falk
Janet Flammang and Lee Friedman
Daniel and Hilary Goldstine
Arnold Grossberg
Paul and Susan Grossberg
Nancy Levin and Daniel Caraco
Frank and Ildiko Lewis
Donald and Susanne McQuade
Rachel Morello-Frosch and David Eifler*
Paul Nordine
David Rosenthal and Vicky Reich
$2,250–$3,499
Anonymous (4)
Edwin and Patricia Berkowitz
Diana Bersohn
Lee Bevis
Broitman Basri Family
Mike Destabelle and Jen Steele
Linh Do and Erno Pungor
Bob Epstein and Amy Roth
Marianne and Herb Friedman
Jeremy Geffen
Claire Greene and Walter Garms*
Marcie Gutierrez and Bret Dickey
Ian Hinchliffe and Marjorie Shapiro
Rose Adams Kelly
John Lee
Man-Ling Lee
Kit and Hayne Leland
Paul and Barbara Licht
Marjorie MacQueen
Nakamoto-Singer Family
Mona Radice
Patrick Schlesinger and Esther Hill
Sondra Schlesinger
Valerie Sopher
Trine Sorensen and Michael Jacobson
Dr. and Mrs. W. Conrad Sweeting*
Alison Teeman and Michael Yovino-Young
Henry Timnick
Ruth and Alan Tobey
$1,500–$2,249
Anonymous* (9)
Sallie and Edward Arens
Dean Artis and Vivien Williamson
Nancy Axelrod
Richard Berkins
Wolfgang Bluhm
Ed Blumenstock and Belle Huang
John and Colleen Busch
Richard Buxbaum and Catherine Hartshorn*
Carol T. Christ
June and Michael Cohen
Robert W. Cole and Susan Muscarella
Ruth and David Collier
Robert Paul Corbett
Didier de Fontaine
Ann E. Dewart
David and Helen Dornbusch
Carol Drucker
Chris Echavia
Rebecca and Robert Epstein
Flint and Mary Evans
Dean Francis
Thomas and Sharon Francis
Tom Frey
Sandra and Robert Goldberg
Mark Goor
Carla Hesse and Thomas Laqueur
Charlton Holland
Richard and Frances Holsinger
Erik Hora
James Horio and Linda Cahill
Leslie Hsu and Richard Lenon Jr.
Barbara and John Holzrichter
Leslie and George Hume
Jacek Jarkowski and Bozena Gilewska
Judy Kahn
Adib and Karin Kanafani
Daniel F. Kane Jr. and Silvia A. Sorell
Karen Koster
Michael Korman and Diane Verducci
Sharon and Ronald Krauss
Carol Nusinow Kurland and Duff Kurland*
Paul Kwak
Sally Landis and Michael White*
Renee and Michael Lankford
Didier LeGall
Karen and Charles Fiske
Susan and Donald Lewis
Marcia C. Linn
Judy and Steve Lipson
Felicia and Genaro Lopez
Stanley and Judith Lubman
Carl and Carol Maes
Helen Marie Marcus
Therissa McKelvey and Heli Roiha
Charles and Ann Meier
David Moore and Judy Lin
Amal Moulik
Jane and Bill Neilson
Ricarda Nelson
Theresa Nelson and Barney Smits
James Nitsos
John and Amy Palmer
Irina Paperno
Andris and Dagnija Peterson
Penny Righthand
Diana V. Rogers
Bill and Leslie Rupley
Bruce and Teddy Schwab
Pat and Merrill Shanks
Robert Harshorn Shimshak and Marion Brenner
Neal Shorstein and Christopher Doane
Chalmers Smith
Eberhard Spiller and Riki Keller-Spiller
Dr. Lynn Spitler
Bonnie Stiles
Katherine Tillotson
Carol Jackson Upshaw
Robert and Emily Warden
Peter Weiner and Sylvia Quast
Doug and Dana Welsh
Dr. Eva Xu and Dr. Roy Wang
Taun Wright
Mitchell and Kristen Yawitz
$1,000–$1,499
Anonymous* (9)
Paul and Linda Baumann
Alison K. Billman
Mr. and Mrs. Peter W. Davis*
Teresa Caldeira and James Holston
Kathy Fang
Maxine Hickman*
Nadine and James Hubbell
Jeff and Linda Jesmok
Fred Karren
Eric Keisman
Robert Kinosian
Cathy and Jim Koshland
Linda Lazzeretti*
Carl Lester*
Haoxin Li*
Suzanne Lilienthal and David Roe
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence R. Lyons
Donna Heinle and John MacInnis
Paul Mariano and Suzanne Chapot
Zina Mirsky*
Julie Morgan and Davis Osborn
Ronald D. Morrison
Anthony V. Nero Jr.
Panos Papadopoulos and Maria Mavroudi
Janet Perlman and Carl Blumstein
John Richardson and Leonard Gabriele
Barbara Rosenfeld
Katrina Russell
Hideko Sakamoto and Vijay Tella
Orville Schell
Paul Sekhri
Anonymous
Lin Tan
Dwight Tate*
Professor Jeremy Thorner and Dr. Carol Mimura
Kimberly Webb and Richard Rossi*
Sheryl and Robert Wong
$750–999
Anonymous* (3)
James H. Abrams and Thomas Chiang
Kris Antonsen and Susanne Stolcke-Antonsen
Debra and Charles Barnes
Ellen Barth
Barbara Bell
Judith L. Bloom*
Ann and John Carroll
Julio Cesar and Curtis Dennison
Alison Colgan
Bernard Feather and Gina Delucchi
Clara Gerdes
Pamela L. Gordon and John S. Marvin
Katherine and Nelson Graburn
Maria and David LaForge
Ginny and Heinz Lackner*
Mimi Lou
Richard McKee
Dennis and Mary Montali
Zeese Papanikolas and Ruth Fallenbaum
Jackie Schmidt-Posner and Barry Posner
Tobey, Julie and Lucy Roland*
Karl Ruddy
Ron and Esther Schroeder
Helen Schulak
Scott and Ruth Spear*
Stephen Sugarman and Karen Carlson
Myra Sutanto Shen
Carol Takaki
Robert and Karen Wetherell
$500–749
Anonymous (14)
Richard M. and Marcia A. Abrams
Garrick and Terry Amgott-Kwan
Vivian and David Auslander
William and Mabry Benson
Janice Bohman and Eric Keller
Bonomo Family
David Boschwitz and Nancy Zellerbach Boschwitz
Thomas Bosserman
Carol Marie Bowen and Christopher R. Bowen
Jennifer Braun
Mary E. Brennan and Brian Ullensvang
Mary Brennan*
Shelagh Brodersen
Margaret Brown and Anthony Sustak
Suknan Chang
Victor Chieco
Amy Choi
Margaret Conkey
Kathleen Correia and Stephen Evans
Ted and Patricia Dienstfrey
Michael Durphy
Lee Edlund
Carol Eisenberg and Raymond Linkerman
Dan Eisenstein
Anne and Peter Esmonde
John and Miranda Ewell
Arthur Ferman and Kay Noel
Doris Fine and Philip Selznick
Philip Gary
Brian Good
Jim Govert and Rachel Nosowsky
Linda Graham
Sheldon and Judy Greene
Kathie Hardy
Emily Hopkins
Hing On Hsu
Sharon Inkelas and Vern Paxson
Ira Jacknis
Ann Jones
Bruce Kerns and Candis Cousins
Carol Kersten
Thomas Koster
Germaine LaBerge
Beatrice Lam
Cheryl and Norman Lavers
Andrew Lazarus and Naomi Janowitz
TL Trust
John Loux
Nancy and Greg McKinney
Martin Melia
Ralph and Melinda Mendelson
Marianne Mitosinka and George Wick
Susan Nabeta-Brodsky
National Coalition of Black Women, Inc. San Francisco Chapter*
Laura Nelson
Lori O’Brien
James Joseph Patton
Neal and Suzanne Pierce
Leslie and Joellen Piskitel*
Charles Pollack and Joanna Cooper
David Pyle
Janet and Michael Rodriguez
Leslie Rosenfeld and Stephen Morris
Mary C. Russi*
Elizabeth Sadewhite
Angela Schillace
Terry Senne
Niran and Norma Shah
Boris Shekhter
Robert Spear
Rebecca Stanwyck
Susan and Maury Stern
Candy Stoner and Daniel Companeetz
Frank Stratton and Christina Sauper Stratton
Rune Stromsness
Sahoko Tamagawa and William Gordon
Risa Teitelbaum
Duy Thai
Eudora Ting
Roseanna Torretto
Vince Tseng
Georgia R Turner
JP and Helen Vajk*
Max Vale
Leon Van Steen
Liz Varnhagen and Steve Greenberg
Mark and Elizabeth Voge
Verena von Dehn
Laurence and Ruth Walker
Richard Wallace
Barbara and Robert Weigand
Kirsten Weisser
Elizabeth Werter
Dick and Beany Wezelman
James Wheeler and J. L. Shon
Donna M. Williams
Linda Williams and Paul Fitzgerald
Viviana Wolinsky
Elaine Wong
E. William and Mary Alice Yund
Martha and Sheldon Zedeck
Amy and Tom Zellerbach
Ming Zhao
John Zimmermann and Diana Graham
Donlyn Lyndon and Alice Wingwall
Michael Condie
Honorary Gifts
Erik Hora in honor of Judge Peggy Fulton Hora
Germaine LaBerge in honor of David McCauley
Susan Pollack in honor of Susan Graham Harriso
Memorial Gifts
Anonymous in memory of Leon Bell
Linh Do and Erno Pungor in memory of Julie Do
Rossannah Reeves in memory of Alan Leslie Reeves
Orville Schell in memory of Baifang Schell
Max Vale in memory of Griffin Madden
Helen Marcus in memory of David Williamson
* Gift was entirely or partially in support of Cal Performances’ Educational and Community Programs