Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra

This show and venue was a great Holiday experience. I'd highly recommend. The music was fabulous--something for every taste, the atmosphere was fun and warm, the venue beautiful.

Six Stars to Maestro Michael Morgan for his leadership in creating an EXCEPTIONAL EVENT. This was my FIRST Let Us Break Bread Together. I had heard about how glorious the experience was..... YET, to witness it....in the company of 3000+ full house Paramount was a moment to savor.... There were many poignant and lovely moments to cherish...throughout....First and foremost beginning with......THAT CHOIR!!!.........Eden High School: ....Oh my God!...... Maestro Morgan is correct: IF ONLY other high schools throughout the US and World should be similarly blessed...HOW DIFFERENT the world indeed would be And then came the luminous and poignant JOAN BAEZ during a very special moment in Oakland history:the Occupy Movement. How brilliant, how poignant, how beautiful to hear her.....and to understand the legacy of what her life's work means even today. Last but not least are two special pearls the amazing KUGELPLEX with their rich and wonderful showcase of music of the Jewish Diaspora and the amazingly versatile solo artist and choral director ,TERRANCE KELLY of The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir in a ........standing ovation...... rendition of the beloved O Holy NIght. I want to hear Terrance Kelly spotlighted and showcased as solo artist with his amazing choir....AGAIN and AGAIN! Mr. Kelly was magnificent in his praise gospel rendition...harkening back to James Cleveland and the young Aretha Franklin. A beautiful afternoon..... with a wonderful Orchestra and Conductor lovingly showcasing beloved music of The Holidays. THIS will certainly become a HOLIDAY TRADITION in my Holidays to come....

Both pieces were great. However, I came to see the orchestra and chorus perform Beethoven's ninth symphony. Why do they call this event Ode-to-Joy? To me, it was just a concert--a great concert.

Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 was outstanding. Richard Strauss - Don Quixote was a work in progress (also a difficult work to perform well) and Benedikt Brydern's Double Identity was interesting (although sounded like it was written in the 1940's.. The strings in this orchestra are outstanding ..

The screening of The General was superb!! The organist (name i forget) really did an amazing job of explaining the movie and the organ. Orchestral performance with organ was also superb. The only reason i didnt rate it a perfect score was the fact that there were no programs for our performance. Theh cleaning crew had disposed of them. For that price, we deserved a program. Not professional and unfortunate.

What a wonderful Sunday afternoon ! I went with my son (23) and father (85) and we all enjoyed it equally. My son was in total awe of the Mighty Wurlitzer having a love of organs himself. And what fun to see a Silent Movie w/ Buster Keaton !! Hilarous ! Then top it off in complete style the Oakland East Bay Symphony w/ Michael Morgan. Like I said a "Triple Play" !!!!!!

I was mainly there to see the movie, and was completely blown away by the symphony afterward. The organ accompaniment for the movie was wonderful, exciting, and made perfect sense with the movie. The Saint-Saens symphony afterwards was beautiful, poignant, and exhilarating. I would definitely attend future performances -- might even subscribe after this! And you have to love the venue -- there's nothing more beautiful than the gorgeous Paramount Theatre.

Coupling one of the greatest films ever made, to live organ accompaniment, on the program with a performance of the Organ Symphony of Saint-Saens at the over-the-top Paramount Theater made for a dynamite experience.

This was a great event. The organist did a great job coordinating the music to the movie, and that Wurlitzer is fantastic! Buster Keaton is of course, hilarious. The Saint-Saens in the second half was very nice, although I might have preferred a little more energetic tempo.

A wonderful afternoon was had by everyone who attended the Sunday, March 21st matinee performance by the Oakland East Bay Symphony. The mighty Wurlitzer was the star of the show! the first half of the program was the showing of the great Buster Keaton silent movie, "The General." The music from the organ perfectly fit the actions in the movie. During intermission, the stage was transformed into a regular symphony hall and the audience was treated to the rousing and beautifully directed Saint-Saens organ symphony. A eclectic and successful program! thank you Oakland East Bay Symphony and Michael Morgan

What's not to love? The Paramount Theatre, the huge organ well played, a great Buster Keaton film, even better music and the Oakland Symphony in top form.

Funny, timeless, fantastic organ music accompaniment. Once in a lifetime chance to see a great movie just as it was intended to be seen!

Sometimes older is better. A prime example of this was last night's The General, accompanied by organist Cristoph Bull. Mr. Bull, wearing red socks and a pink shirt under a black suit, prefaced the movie with an introduction to the Mighty Wurlitzer, giving examples of its special effects, and an explanation of how he prepared the musical accompaniment, surprising me by his poise and confidence. The second act featured Saint-Saens' Symphony #3 performed by the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Halfway through the piece, during a grandiose passage, I realized that I had heard the melody before, in the movie Babe. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss $60+ bucks goodbye. Highly recommended.

Excellent selections! Excellent performance! Loved everything about the whole show!

I had seen Rebecca Mauleon recently at Ft Mason in the Latin tribute to Michael Jackson with Seaon Stylist-Bristol and **had** to see her work again. I was not disappointed with the work, at all. The other two pieces in the show were fine, but paled by comparison. It's very easy to see how she would have been nominated for a Grammy :-)

I usually don't go to symphonies because I'm just not into classical music enough. But the "Afro-Cuban Suite" and "Harlem" drew me in to going. These two pieces kept getting better and better; I was wanting them both to last much longer. I loved seeing the Symphony perform this music. I hope to see more of the same exciting music in the future.

I really enjoyed this program. I have to qualify my review by saying that my friend and I had quite an adventure getting to the venue from our South Bay starting point so I showed up late; I missed most of the Ives part of the program. However, I came to see Rebeca Mauleon so was glad to make it in time for that. I thought Mauleon's piece was excellent, and Ellington's "Harlem" was a great complement. I read one review from a publication that said the program itself was somewhat monotonous (it wasn't criticizing the individual works), but the program didn't seem that way to me. Again, qualifying because I was not present for most of the Ives work. I don't know if, had I been present for the entire program, I would think differently. I'm guessing I wouldn't. I really enjoyed listening to Cuban rhythms played with full symphonic orchestration, and the conductor was a joy to watch; he was dancing to both Mauleon and Ellington's works, conducting the rhythmic energy of the music as well. This was unlike any other symphonic program I've seen, not that I've seen a ton. I don't know if purists would be into it, but I know what I like. And this program, I liked.

This was an awesome event, well put together! It is something I look forward to do again at OEBS.

Notes From Armenia was beautifully performed by the Oakland Symphony. The selections were great the and the performance was perfect! We thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I wish we'd known that there is a free 30 minute lecture an hour before the show. I enjoyed the 5 minutes that I accidentally got to attend.

The event was unforgettible. Brilliant violinist, wonderful musical pieces.

This event had tremendous energy. The soloist was amazing and plucky young man. It would have been nice to have more diversity in the program--slanted very much toward the Stalin era compositions. Instead of the Mozart some Alan Hovhaness would have nice to include.

Such a wonderful performance of Armenian pieces by OEBS, they've not only captured the traditional beauty of the music, they also excelled and performed the pieces in a way that I have never heard before in my life...and I've known that music for quite some time now.

I wanted a little less comedy and a little more powerful music.

The Night at the Opera was Great fun. Polished performances.

With costs rising, investor shrinking, and technology changing, Musical Theatre presentation is reaching a crossroad. The result is that orchestra pits have shrunk, and prerecorded tracks are being substituted for live playing. Our youngest generations have embraced the use of such technology without a fuss. All new generations do it. This performance of the Kern/Hammerstein masterpiece was a way of showing them what those who have come before them know and has been taken away: the ecstasy of hearing an American Musical with a full orchestra. The version here was not the full musical (which runs about three hours) but an extended concert version. The star was the Oakland East Bay Symphony. The playing was absolutely superb and the sound coming from the Paramount Theatre stage simply took my breath away, and brought tears to my eyes. I have not been able to hear a Broadway score played like this in several decades. Tempi were crisp as a typical full sized Broadway pit orchestra, which made the experience all that more pleasurable. If I had one disappointment it would be with some of the soloists. They, by comparison, needed to be miked, and you could hear the difference in sound immediately. The standout was the soloist who plays Joe and gets to sing "Old Man River." His performance had an ease and knowledge of the genre to completely win over the audience. But the orchestra is the thing, and I hope that other Broadway musical scores become part of the OEBS repertoire.

The pre-concert discussion was very informative. Kern selections were excellent. Good variety. Was hoping for for more of Showboat

Michael Morgan and all the singers in ShowBoat were world class. I love the Oakland Symphony. My 13 years old daughter wqs dazzled, as was I.

WOW. Incredible. Amazing. Pin Drop. Exciting. Inspriring

The Oakland East Bay Symphony concert was a mix of quality. The opening overture by Rossini was unmemorable; the alto sax concerto was an odd concoction (sax's do better in a jazz setting---this was too bland), and the Carmina Burana performance by the chorus was fairly listless and sounded "muddy" to patrons with seats under the balcony overhang. But the Carmina soloists were superb, acting out their roles in amusing or touching performances.

This was my first time at the paramount it was more then i imagine. I have always wanted to go to the symphony and not really knowing what to look forward to this event is one of the most amazing experience I will always remember and share i will say this don't hesitate from begin to end just amazing looking forward to a opera show now

It was a wonderful evening! The performances were very enjoyable. It was great to also see Joan Biaz again.. She did her thing! The choirs were fantastic! It set the mood for the Christmas season and Jesus is the reason. Looking fwd to next year!!

all groups were excellent, good diversity of people and music.

Let Us Break Bread Together was a delightful, inspiring, totally uplifting event! I especially loved the Mt. Eden High School Choir, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and, of course, Kugelplex. It's a shame, though, that Joan Baez has lost her voice.

It was amazing. Thank you for showing off some of the talent in the community.

An outstanding evening! Everyone who was involved in the program did a great job. I was so impressed with the Mt. Eden choral group. In this day of school programs getting cut it was so rewarding to see that their district has managed to keep music alive.

This was an excellent production from start to finish. Mt. Eden High school Choir especially good. Outstanding singing by all chorus participants, and the solo from the Oakland Gospel Choir brought the house down. Michael Morgan, as always, keeps the pace moving well and adds high energy as the quintessential master of ceremonies and director of the event. Audience participation at the end was very welcome and enjoyable.

I have obeen before but I had forgotten how absolutely uplifting it is. Everything was wonderful-Mt Eden- voices of angels; East Bay Interfaith Choir- lifted the roof off and the baritone to tenor, oh my; the symphony and choral where great as usual. Kugelplex put a smile on my Face. Then there was the incomparable Joan Baez. Then, to hold everything together, "calling audibles" Mr Morgan your very funny Conductor. We may have to make this an annual thing- I think we have said that before. Thank You

This concert was FABULOUS! A wonderful addition to the holiday season. My only criticism was that it was almost totally Christian in orientation and at this time of year and in our current pluralistic society, I would prefer the addition of music from other traditions as well.

Every year the concert is fantastic, every group is great and unique. It lifts your spirit to attend and participate. I hope I will be fortunate enough to go every year.

For a christmas concert this got me ready for the holidays. I enjoyed the quality of singing by the Mount Eden High School Concert choir. Also, the OIGC numbers brought a little spice to the concert. Kuglefects was interesting but not my kind of music.

Wonderful, Excellent, Really Great! I have attended the Christmas show in the past. This was by far the best. The addition of Joan Baez to the program made it even better. Future shows including her would encourage me to attend every time. Her four songs were great! An improvement might have been the choirs, the symphony, guest appearances would be 2 or 3 more songs by Joan.

I was a great show. There was wonderful diversity. Just before the show I was involved in a substantial car crash. Nonetheless, I decided to attend and found it a great tonic for the spirit. Bravo

Another outstanding event with Michael Morgan and all the performers.

Brought my elderly mother. The Paramount is stunning to look at and very accommodating to people with disabilities. Can't remember the last time I saw a performance that literally filled my heart and soul with joy. Michael Morgan brings it all together in a warm relaxed way. Absolutely a not to be missed performance and community building experience.

The music was awesome. Who knew when I paid top prices for our seats that row J would have spots from which we could not see Joan Baez when she sang? Michael Morgan, a great conductor, completely blocked all of the featured singers. I finally went and stood in the aisle so I could catch a glimpse of a longtime favorite singer. If we go again, It's the balcony for me.

A very enjoyable evening, a melodious selection of music that flowed through the passage of time, Michael Morgan is fascinating to watch and the orchestra was absolutely superb!

The Herrmann: Straight forward and terrific. The Fourth: The French Horn Section let us down a time or two. But very very nice. The Amendola : Not clever. Not thoughtful. Not musical. INSIPID. And I'm generally a fan of new music.

Excellent concert. The symphony was excellent and the guest preformers were phenominal. Arash Amini gave a stunning performance on cello. Where can I see more of his work?

Going to this concert started out as a school requirement but ended up being much more than that. Being as this was my first classical concert, I may be a little biased but every part of this performance was amazing! From the funny introduction and amiable conductor, the astronomically good Planets suite that had u feeling every stage of life to the MUSE program's short but perfect performance to the unforgettable and almost transcendent violin concerto that only the superb Regina Carter could have pulled off, it was a night i wish i could replay over and over again.

Once again the Oakland East Bay Symphony dazzled and surprised its audience! Bryan Nies from Evanston was a powerful guest conductor. Nice to have collaboration with San Francisco with Billy Childs. The students from MUSE give us so much hope for the future and what fun to see them cheering at the end of their piece. Regina Carter's passionate wooing of her violin is spellbinding. A brilliant performance by all! Bravo!

The Oakland East Bay Symphony is an excellent and much less expensive alternative to the SFS. I'm surprised they don't get more press -- they're great!

a pleasant show indeed. michael morgan is wonderful. regina carter was incredible.

we loved the conductor's energy, the percussionists were excellent and the choir was good

A true picture of our diverse East Bay--wonderful voices and incredible Michael Morgan!!

My first time at the Paramount. Magnificent decor and an even better performance by all the participants. The Conductor was outstanding as were all of the various choirs and performers. Very well done and highly recommended. Will definitely try to go again next year.

Though disappointed that Joan Baez wasn't participating, I enjoyed the concert, the casual style of Conductor Morgan, the variety of choral groups. Mt. Eden H.S. especially impressive. Boys' choir did well when not asked to sing higher than they were prepared to sing. Clapping and applause by audience sometimes interfered with the music.

Great show - a nice balance of style. Wonderful pieces by the choruses. Love how down to earth the director is!!

Benedickt Brydern's premiere, "Double Identity," took me way back to Glenn Miller, but this was before knowing that he also composed for the film genre. Well done! Richard Strauss' "Don Quixote" once again showed the composer's instrumental prowess, whatwith one foot in 19th century Wagnerian tonality and the other in 20th century dissonance. However, from a soloist's stance, regarding the 'cello and viola solos, it would have given more "bite" to the performance if these instruments were tuned a microtone sharper for an edgier tonality to this piece. Adam Neiman's performance of the Tchaikovsky was perhaps the most crisp -- in a positive sense -- that I'd ever heard. Hopefully, we should be hearing more from this young, locally-trained pianist. And, on a curious note (pun intended), although there was reportedly no amplification, from where I sat there was a small but discernible echo effect, which may have been an acoustic artifact, but which didn't detract from the performance; however, this didn't explain why there were two sets of speakers on either side of the stage.

Conductor Michael Morgan in his brilliance asked a bunch of talented young singers to perform their fantasy music. Their exuberance for the music showed in a night when every singer gave it their all. The Oakland East Bay Symphony is too often forgotten among our musicals jewels in the Bay Area.

Symphony/Chorus did a wonderful job performing a difficult piece.

Not at all in line with the expectations. The orchestra was good, but the fusion was terrible. The instrumentalists missed beats and things seemed out of sync.

Wonderful concert! The music selection - excellent Musicians - fantastic!! Location - eye popping! Balance of sound - disappointing. It took almost the first third of the concert for the sound person to get it right. As a result I missed out on being able to hear 'Sohie's Dream' by Kugelplex accompanied by the orchestra.

Every aspect of the symphony compositions were well thought out. I especially enjoyed the diversity of the Chris Brubeck performance. It was my first time to witness the outstanding conductor Michael Morgan, believe it or not. The Ansel Adams tribute was visually and musically entertaining. Happy Birthday to Flicka. Wesla and Taylor were quite impressive as well. Do it again!!!!

Great soloists great orchestra, I was not connected. The Ansel Adams piece just didn't work for me. I felt a loss when both Bru and Ansel passed away. Blue Rondo and Take Five were best of show. Would like to have heard more of that.

What a treat to have Brubeck's son Chris and other giant talents from here in the bay area pay loving tribute to a man who opened the minds, hearts and ears of a whole generation. Over his more than 40 year career he changed and grew, and many of us lost track of him, still just remembering the tunes that made him famous. But through Chris we got a more rounded picture of the man and his music. I especially loved the pre-concert lecture with Chris and Michael Morgan. The Ansel Adams America, probably one of the last pieces he composed, was fantastic (plus photography!). My Alameda neighbor Frederica Von Stade was a marvelous surprise, and Mike and Wesla were sublime. Not just a concert, an Event of epic proportions. So happy I went!

Amazing! I have been a Brubeck fan my entire life and this will be the hallmark of my listening experience. Thank you to everyone who made this concert happen.

This was an amazing concert. The music started out slowly, not showing excitement or true jazz spirit. However, as the evening progressed, the dynamics and spirit of the music caught fire. The piano solos were fabulous. The talent of Brubeck's son was outstanding.

My wife, son and I attended the celebration of the music of Dave Brubeck and all three of us had a splendid evening out. The music was terrific, the symphony and guest artists all fabulous and the venue -- Oakland's Paramount Theater -- was fabulous.

From start to finish, this was a Brubeck crowd pleaser. The audience responded to all of the elements, versions of old favorites and some new ones too.

MOST IMPORTANTLY GREAT MUSIC AND LOTS OF IT! Also, a relaxed atmosphere, fun pre-concert performance in lobby, very comfortable seats, far less expensive than the SF Symphony with many of the same musicians. Very cool to be first to hear piece to commemorate Japans tsunami tragedy.

Wildly inventive and interesting concert, well performed. I loved it.

I expected the symphony to be stuffy and boring. WRONG!!!!!!!! It was spectacular! I can't wait to go again. The conductor was great and so were the musicians and performers. Everyone should go to the symphony! Its got a lot of heart, soul, passion, and then some. Exhilarating! What excitement!

The Oakland East Bay Symphony is top-notch, and I was blown away by the Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor and the fine work of the soloist, David Requiro. The highlight of the evening, however, was most definitely The Symphony of Souls, composed by Art Khu. This four-movement symphony was utterly magnificent. At times I felt my heart beating out of my chest with excitement, and at other times I felt as if I were in a state of reverie. The piece was richly complex, yet it was supremely melodic throughout. I've always thought of Art as a gifted arranger, composer, and musician, but I was especially delighted to experience his stunning symphony. Such a triumph! His music truly allowed each section of the orchestra to find its voice, and boy, did those voices sing! The extended standing ovation for Art at the conclusion of the symphony was very well-deserved. Michael Morgan and the entire orchestra are to be congratulated on a wonderful evening of music. This was my first time hearing the OEBS, and given their fine performance I will definitely be attending more of their concerts in the future.

I'm always grateful to hear new pieces of music; it warms my heart and feeds my soul.

The musicians, conductor, venue, musical selections, bathrooms, parking, acoustics, refreshments, staff, ambiance.... shall I go on..? A stunning evening that everyone should put on their calendar... especially great exposure to young people... can't wait to take the theater tour.

I loved the results of this collaboration between the classical world of the symphony and contemporary jazz-world composers. The Mendelssohn and Dvorak pieces that opened the show were well-chosen for their dramatic and melodic power (cello soloist David Requiro made the most of Dvorak's cello concerto), but the real interest in the show was created by the two world premiere compositions by Victor Noriega and Art Khu. I had heard of Art Khu before but wasn't familiar with his music, and did not know who Victor Noriega was; both created intriguing pieces that made full use of the range of tones available in the orchestra and incorporated traditional sounding themes in a rich harmonic tapestry of sounds. I hope the Oakland East Bay Symphony continues to collaborate and cross boundaries as they did here with the San Francisco Filipino-American Jazz Festival to create exciting contemporary programs like this one.

I went to see this concert, which included new music by two up and coming composers. Although the first piece was nice, the second by Art Khu was something quite spectacular. There was a cinematic feel to it, yet there were references to jazz (Khu is a jazz musician), and I even heard some Brahms in there. I cannot stop humming parts of it! The first movement had a great percussion beat going, and a lilting string section, interspersed with some very robust horn sections. The second movement had a rich, lyrical, and mournful quality to it. The final movement brought it all home in true symphonic style, reintroducing elements from earlier movements. He got a terrific standing ovation with lots of cheers -- and I *know* the audience was not filled with just his friends. A true accomplishment. Watch for this guy!

Art Khu's Symphony of Souls took me to another world. Beautiful. Awesome. I would like to download it to hear it again and again.

Nice program - Schubert overture and Brahms' well-known Violin Concerto sandwiched around a modern composer, Rorem (Letters from Paris, 1966). Rorem was an interesting change of pace (modern) from the classics. Rorem's movements geared toward the changing of seasons, and nice job by chorus. Brahms nicely played by soloist Andrew Sords. Paramount Theatre is a special venue, right in downtown Oakland at 19th Street BART station. It has its pluses and minuses as far as symphony acoustics. It is a multi-use space, not specifically designed for symphony like Davies in SF, for example. Nevertheless, the 1930s era theatre adds a charm to the experience, making it enjoyable overall.

William Harvey played with great accuracy, crystal clear tone, and wonderful finesse--sometimes playing duets with other instruments, sometimes following along in the symphony's path, sometimes leading the way. It was a fantastic concert!!! The Symphony's rendition of the Eroica Symphony was engergetic and exciting!

The best- lively, gorgeous music, great venue--go!

I'm passionate about Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and have been known to drive a hundred miles to hear it performed. I've seen it at least eight times now in two states, have several recordings of it, and have loved each and every performance, if for no other reason that it was the Carmina Burana and being done "live" but this was one of the best I've ever heard. It sparkled and sizzled with energy that, to me, captured the essence of the composition. Orff said the piece was deeply spiritual and I think it does stir some very elemental emotions but this performance really captured the earthy sensuality that the text presents but which I've never heard in the music. The three soloists were suberb, absolutely superb. There were a few places where the acoustics didn't support the music as they should but all in all it was an amazing performance and I'm so happy to have been there to hear it.

This performance included the Oakland youth choir and orchestra, as well. It was an amazingly beautiful performance that integrated 4 different communities of artists into one breathtaking performance. The community that was displayed onstage with 3 different conductors sharing the stage, was awe-inspiring and brought tears to my eyes.

It was a fabulous event. The Performances were wonderful.

Incredible performance of Carmina Burana - great first half with the overture and the sax concerto. Kind of different with having three conductors for Carmina, but it was distracting with the first conductor - definitely not as in control of his directing as the other two - the tempos and orchestra and conductor and voices were all over the place in the beginning - it was kind of interesting to see where they would all end up - but overall, the music was superb. The soloists were fantastic.

Carmina Burana was wonderful, but honestly, I was there to see my 21-year-old nephew, Lucas Hopkins, wow everyone there with his classical saxophone, and he did!

Awesome ! Beautiful voices and beautiful musics. Very enjoy!