New Chapter with Institute on Aging!

If you stroll by Institute on Aging’s new Enrichment Center in the Presidio, which houses a day program for dementia clients, and you hear the sounds of a piano coming from the building, it’s not your imagination.

We are pleased to announce a formal partnership between Ensemble San Francisco (ESF) and Institute on Aging (IOA), beginning with the loan of a baby grand piano. Recently, the chamber music organization received a beautiful baby grand piano on loan thanks to a generous donor, and ESF struck up a virtuoso idea: house the piano at the Presidio location, where it could be used for concerts, parties and the enjoyment of the Enrichment Center’s members. The piano will be officially “dedicated” during Music Mixer: ESF at the Presidio, on March 30, 2020, the first of many events we hope will inspire community to gather around music.

For many years, ESF has been performing at Institute on Aging’s (IOA) Enrichment Center for those living with dementia and other cognitive challenges. Not only do the Enrichment Center’s members greatly enjoy the beautiful music, but research suggests that listening to or singing songs can provide emotional and behavioral benefits for people with dementia. Musical memories are often preserved in those with dementia because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged.*

This marks a wonderful new chapter in the partnership between ESF and IOA that will bring the continuous gift of music to those who visit the Enrichment Center space.

About Institute on Aging: Founded in 1975, Institute on Aging (IOA) is one of California's largest community-based nonprofit organizations providing comprehensive health, social, and psychological services for seniors and adults living with disabilities. IOA's mission is to enhance the quality of life for adults as they age, by enabling them to maintain their health, well-being, independence, and participation in the community. Long considered one of the most innovative and diverse organizations of its kind, Institute on Aging currently touches the lives of more than 20,000 seniors and adults with living disabilities and their families each year through programs designed to alleviate isolation and enable older adults to continue living independently in the community.

* Graff-Radford, Jonathan. “Can music help someone with Alzheimer’s?” April 20, 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/expert-answers/music-and-alzheimers/faq-20058173/.

The Gift of Music

Outreach is an integral part of our mission and almost since the beginning, ESF has regularly visited Institute on Aging; this particular branch of IoA serves participants living with a dementia diagnosis (often due to varying stages of Alzheimer's), stroke, Parkinson's and/or Lewy body dementia.

We treasure notes like this one that we received from a staff member:

“Your performance had a huge impact on our participants and staff. A very withdrawn man came to me afterwards with tears in his eyes telling me he hasn’t felt so deeply in 20 years!! Music has such a transformative quality and to be able to enjoy it live is so important to us. We hope to see you all again. Thank you! ”

We look forward to returning to IoA this week to share Beethoven and Faure!

As we near the end of 2019, we are thankful for the gift of music and to everyone involved in helping us continue or mission throughout the Bay Area.

With Gratitude

ESF 2018-19 Season in Review

26 performances included
10 donated outreach performances,
6 debuts on Bay Area series,
74 rehearsal hours, and
36 hours in the studio recording the debut album.

Thank you for helping us share the gift of music!

Music in Juvy

Ensemble SF has an on-going commitment to bring music into communities that don’t have regular access to the arts. One group includes incarcerated youth. During their most recent visit to Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall, they played for a particularly engaged group of young people. Filling the hall with sounds of Schumann, Dohnanyi and a newer work by Solbong Kim, ESF was peppered with many questions including, “When will you come back again?” and “Can you teach us music lessons?” Another confirmation of music’s power to build bridges, encourage exchange and promote understanding. Thank you for supporting the work we do within these communities!

Love is in the Air

We LOVE sharing our music with you and this was a month full of music making! ESF enjoyed debuts on several series: Old First Concerts with Moni Simeonov and Jose Gonzalez Granero, Berkeley’s Chamber Music Sundaes & Santa Cruz Chamber Players. We also shared music in a small house concert setting in appreciation of Music in May sponsors.

If you haven’t yet, order ESF’s debut album. Tickets are now available for our season finale at Herbst Theatre.

Debut Album

Happy New Year!

This week is the beginning of the culmination of a dream - recording an album. Last week the quartet logged 34 hours in the Schumann Music Studio. Special thanks to Robin Whitehouse and Roy Malan. The group cannot wait to share the tracks with each of you! The album will include Schumann Piano Quartet, Dohnanyi String Trio, and Liszt Widmung Song Transcription for Solo Piano.

Preorder your copy today.

Thank you for being a part of the ESF family and supporting what we do in and around the Bay Area.

Holiday Cheer at Raphael House

Raphael House is an organization founded in 1971 that helps at-risk families achieve stable housing and financial independence.

As families trickled in for the start of the program, Matt showed a young girl how to strum his viola strings. Elizabeth sat with another girl, side by side at the upright piano, creating an impromptu duet, even choreographing an ending where their hands rose up together off the keys. The quartet began with a series of holiday tunes encouraging a sing along. One surprise came in the form of Mi Burrito Sabanero for one of the ladies [she had asked at ESF’s previous visit for “Spanish songs”]. She and her entire family boisterously sang along to the music. After playing the slow movement of Schumann’s Piano Quartet, a mother with an infant in her arms said, “When you started playing, it was so beautiful it made me want to cry.” The families were invited to sign up for complimentary tickets to ESF’s season finale at Herbst Theatre April 16th. One mother excitedly shared, “That’s a few days before my son's birthday! That will be a nice way for us to celebrate.” The rousing finish was Jonah’s brand new Earth Wind and Fire arrangement of In the Stone, created for the audience at Raphael House. The holiday spirit was bright tonight and we wish the same for each of you during these final days of 2018!

Friendsgiving with ESF

Thank you to everyone that attended Opus 415’s inaugural Friendsgiving benefit at Manilatown Cultural Center in North Beach. It was a pleasure celebrating the gift of music with a reading with friends of Brahms Horn Trio and Dvorak Serenade for Strings (and one trombone with special guest Nick Platoff). Special thanks to photographer Scot Goodman!

“It was a lovely venue and it made the whole experience very cozy and homey! I really enjoyed my first chamber concert experience!
-Serinna Chau”

Opus 415 is the social club of ESF that fosters friendships with our audience.