The Festival del Sole in Napa Valley, which opens Friday and runs through July 26, celebrates its 10th year with concerts, dinners, films and many ancillary events. This year’s program features two musicians with local roots, including study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Constantine Orbelian, who will conduct the Russian National Orchestra in concerts Wednesday and July 26, and composer and philanthropist Gordon Getty, whose music will be performed Saturday, Monday and July 26 and whose life is the subject of a new documentary film being previewed Monday.
Orbelian was born in San Francisco in 1956 to immigrants of Ukrainian, Russian and Armenian heritage who arrived here without money or English skills. They achieved the American dream — becoming leading residents of the city while raising their musically talented son to know the languages and culture of their old homeland as well as their new one.
In 1990, Orbelian, a concert pianist who had already given hundreds of performances worldwide, went to Moscow to perform with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. When its conductor suddenly became ill, he was able to substitute, achieving such acclaim that he was asked to become the regular conductor of the orchestra, a position he held for almost two decades.
Over the past 25 years, Orbelian has conducted concerts throughout Russia and on international tours with Russian musicians, including many in the Bay Area. He is the founder and music director of two Russian festivals. The film “The Glory of Russia,” with Renee Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing in the great palaces of St. Petersburg as he conducts, was an idea he promoted and realized. (This film will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 500 First St. in Napa.)
Superstar baritone Hvorostovsky, a Bay Area favorite scheduled to sing with Orbelian in the concerts Wednesday and July 26, recently was diagnosed with a brain tumor, forcing him to cancel. We wish him well in his treatment.
Bass Ildar Abdrazakov, who was memorably charismatic in the title role of Boito’s “Mefistofele” for the opening of the San Francisco Opera’s 2013 season and more recently, as Prince Igor for the Metropolitan Opera, is flying in from Europe to sing arias from Russian operas for the July 26 concert at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. The concert Wednesday at the Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga includes a mix of romantic Russian classical and popular music. Soloists are cellist Nina Kotova and a young Russian baritone, Rodion Pogossov, who is now based in New York and singing roles such as Papageno in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Metropolitan Opera.
Getty is the son of one of the country’s first billionaires, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. He grew up in San Francisco, attended St. Ignatius and the University of San Francisco, then received his Bachelor of Arts in music from the conservatory. He chose his passion for music over following his father with a career in the oil business, and his compositions and philanthropy have added mightily to the excellence of classical music in the Bay Area. The dedication of the 10th season of the Festival del Sole to him and his wife, Ann, seems most appropriate.
The world premiere of five choral pieces by Getty will precede the performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Lincoln Theater. A preview of the documentary on Getty’s life by Peter Rosen at the Mont LaSalle Chapel at 6 p.m. Monday will be followed by a chamber ensemble from the Russian National Orchestra performing Getty’s “Four Traditional Pieces.” The music storybook for children, “Angel Heart,” including songs and lullabies by Getty, is part of a free community concert at the Lincoln Theater at 1 p.m. July 26. Bay Area mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade is among the performers.
There are many other treats from a galaxy of stars. Deborah Voigt is featured in the opening night concert, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Castello di Amorosa. Actor Kevin Spacey of “House of Cards” fame brings Hollywood glamour — he will sing at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Annual Festival Gala at Meadowood. Jazz greats Herb Alpert and Lani Hall play at 6:30 p.m. July 23 at the Castello di Amorosa. Midori performs the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in the Festival’s Finale Concert at 6 p.m. July 26 at the Lincoln Theater.
For a full schedule of Napa Valley Festival del Sole’s concerts and other events, go to www.festivaldelsole.org.
Contact Cheryl North at cherylnorth@hotmail.com.
