Patterns Unbound

Shadow Puppet Theater and African-Print Fashion on the Global Stage

African-Print Fashion Now! A Story of Taste, Globalization, and Style

African-Print Fashion Now! introduces guests to a dynamic and diverse African dress tradition and the international fashion worlds it inhabits: “popular” African-print styles created by local seamstresses and tailors, international runway fashions, and boundary-breaking youth styles favored in African’s urban centers. The story begins with the early trade of European machine-made copies of Indonesian batik and the subsequent marketing of colorful, boldly designed cotton print cloth to a West African clientele. Ms. Quick’s presentation concludes with an exploration of works by contemporary artists who incorporate African print to convey messages about identity, hybridity, and aspiration. 

Wayang Earth Synopsis

Step into a world of shadow, sound, and magic in  "Wayang Earth?!," an otherworldly shadow puppet theater production of intricately designed puppets and one-of-a-kind homemade musical instruments inspired by Balinese shadow theater. “Wayang Earth?!” tells the zany, comedic fables of mythical dual creatures who grapple with extraordinary challenges in a realm constantly altered by magical forces. Operating the twenty-plus stick puppets in the “Wayang Earth?!” production is solo puppeteer Katie Harrell, who uses a wide range of voices to bring the characters to life. Accompanying the play is the Harmonic Drift ensemble of gongs, bells, and found object instruments, led by Dan Bales, creating an immersive sensory experience that transcends the ordinary.

Click here to purchase your tickets (includes food and drinks)

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 pm, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Betsy D. Quick, African Textile Scholar

Betsy D. Quick is the retired director of education and curatorial affairs at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. She was responsible for developing exhibitions and school and teacher services for both K-12 and university audiences. She has authored a number of publications and articles on the teaching of world arts and humanities. Under her direction, Fowler’s education department was awarded a prestigious award by the Los Angeles Unified School District for the outstanding services and resources it made available for Los Angeles area teachers and students. Quick curated a number of recent African art exhibitions at the Fowler including Mandela for President: South Africa Votes for Democracy and Yards of Style: African-Print Cloths from Ghana. She was co-curator of ‘How Do You See This World?’: The Art of Almighty God and project director/co-curator of Fowler’s traveling exhibition project, African-Print Fashion Now! A Story of Taste, Globalization, and Style. Her curatorial work has taken her to South Africa twice and to West Africa on three occasions.

Katie Harrell, Shadow Puppet Artist

Katie Harrell is a performer, musician, and shadow puppet artist whose creative journey has been shaped by her deep immersion in Balinese traditional arts. Katie's artistic odyssey into shadow puppetry began as a Fulbright Researcher in Bali in 2015, immersed in studying traditional Balinese vocal music, where she was introduced to the rich vocal music tradition of wayang kulit (Balinese shadow theater). She has studied with esteemed puppeteers I Nyoman Sumandhi, and I Made Juanda and has performed wayang kulit as a shadow puppet master with Gamelan Sekar Jaya and as a vocal accompanist with Larry Reed of ShadowLight Productions. Katie is the lead artist and solo puppeteer of “Wayang Earth?!” She earned her MA in Music Composition from Mills College, where she studied Javanese gamelan with Daniel Schmidt, and composition with Zeena Parkins, Fred Frith, and Maggi Payne. 

Dan Bales, Instrument Builder, Composer

Dan Bales is the artist behind Harmonic Drift, part-instrument ensemble, part-sound art installation that merges homemade instruments and found-object creations into a mesmerizing symphony, all underpinned by the tunings of Balinese gamelan. Dan wears multiple hats as an instrument builder, composer, musician, and percussionist. He is the former, longtime director of Gamelan X, a group known for their creative take on music for gamelan baleganjur, a form of processional Balinese music. His pieces have been performed with Gamelan Sekar Jaya and has collaborated with Balinese composers to create new works combining gamelan and electronics for the Bali Spirit Festival. In 2015, Dan was awarded a Burning Man Arts Honoraria for “Reflective Resonance,” a participatory sound art installation at Burning Man of homemade aluminum gongs, which are now part of the Harmonic Drift pantheon of instruments. Dan earned his BSS in Music Composition from Cornell College, where he studied composition with Dr. James Martin. 

An Italian Night

Verdi at the Verdi Club

When it comes to passion, intensity, and drama, Italian opera does it best. Join us for An Italian Night, where we'll spend an evening marveling at the potpourri of drama from Verdi's operas. There is no better place to experience the joy of Verdi's music than at the historic Verdi Club. From love at first sight, to dark revenge, this evening will transport you to a world of theatrics through some of the greatest melodies of all time.

Click here to purchase your tickets (includes food and drinks)

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 pm, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Michelle Cipollone, Soprano

Michelle Cipollone, soprano, originally hails from Oregon. She performed the role of Countess in La Nozze di Figaro, Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), and Mutter (Hänsel und Gretel) with LAH-SOW Opera, and is looking forward to debuting her first Fiordiligi with them this summer.  Previous roles include La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Ino (Semele), Kathie (The Student Prince), Maestra della Novizie (Suor Angelica), and Giunone (La Calisto).  

Michelle earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University in 2012 and graduated with a Master's in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2020. In addition to performing, Michelle has her own studio, teaching voice and piano students through Inspire Music.  

Emerson McAlister, Mezzo-soprano

Emerson McAlister (they/them) is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. They recently went through a fach change from soprano to mezzo. A proud, disabled, genderfluid individual's passion for gender (or lack thereof) bleeds into their work. 

This past season, Emerson won the Special Encouragement Award for the Western Region of The Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. In 2022, Emerson also won the VSA Young Artists Prize at The Kennedy Center, where they were honored and performed on the Millennium Stage. Their Jewish identity is also a crucial part of their performance career. Emerson has successfully performed Jake Heggie’s Another Sunrise throughout the Bay Area.

Arie Perry, Tenor

Known for his graceful phrasing and ringing high notes, his solo repertoire has focused on baroque and classical choral works, but also opera, art song, popular, and musical theater repertoire.

Arie is also a physician and the Chief of Neuropathology at UCSF, having moved to the Bay Area with his wife, Andrea, in 2010. Combining his vocal talents and medical expertise, he previously recorded a CD entitled “Neuropathology Songs” to help students remember salient features of common neurological disorders. This novel educational tool has been highlighted in media stories by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, NPR Marketplace, the Singer Network (of Chorus America), and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. 

Don Hoffman, Bass-Baritone

Don Hoffman studied vocal performance in his native New Orleans, where he made his professional operatic debut. He has performed more than 30 roles, including the title roles in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro, Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust, and Sparafucile in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Banco in his Macbeth.

An advocate of contemporary composers, he sang the music of Christopher Tin at Carnegie Hall and appeared as Freiderich Bhaer in the West Coast premiere of Mark Adamo’s Little Women. He regularly appears with companies around the Bay Area, including West Bay Opera and Pocket Opera.

Dana Marie Chan, Pianist

Dana Marie Chan has performed as a collaborative and solo pianist and trumpeter in recitals, competitions, orchestras, wind, jazz, and new music ensembles in the United States and Asia.

She received her Master’s degree in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Collaborative Piano and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California San Diego with a double major in Music - Piano Performance and International Business. 

She is the Operations and Development Assistant at the San Francisco Performances. She teaches piano and performs in the Bay Area as a collaborative pianist.  

Annette Schutz, Verdi Club Historian

Annette Schutz took on the role of the club’s historian right before its 100th Anniversary in 2016. This is when the magic of the club’s history truly captured her undivided attention. Through months of interviewing the club's oldest members and uncovering historical data, she helped bring a 100-year timeline of The Verdi Club to life. As owner of ArtHaus Consulting San Francisco, Annette was drawn to curating a collection of historical photographs discovered in the basement and attic of The Verdi Club building at 2424 Mariposa Street in San Francisco.

The photographs were scanned and printed the same size in a sepia color with descriptive historical captions below each image. Today, the historical timeline and photographs can be viewed in the club’s entry, bar, and on the website.

Annette is currently a Verdi Club Board Member and Sunshine Chair, as well as the club’s historian.

Crossing the lines

Improvisation between chamber music and art

It’s not everyday when live chamber music and art join together in glorious harmony. At SF Salon Music, one should always expect the unexpected. Join us at the Verdi Club for an evening of chamber works by Gabriel Fauré, Norman Dello Joio and Louise Farrenc, all accompanied with the works of painter Peggy Gyulai. The evening will end with a soundscape improvisation between the painter and the musicians. You will not want to miss this living and breathing performance where live painting and music collide!

Click here to purchase your tickets.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 pm, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Peggy Gyulai, Painter

“Listening to great music has taught me much about the act of creation. Inspiring, dreaming, exploring, inventing--these are all reflections of the emotional and "motional" world created by a piece of music. My paintings are chronicles of my personal encounters with music, and  I try to make each work a fusion of air, light, and passion as I immerse myself in both new and old masterworks of sound.”

Peggy graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA degree in Biological Anthropology; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Certificate; University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Paintings in over 100 private and corporate collections in the US and Europe: including Stanford Medical Center, SAP America, Neiman Marcus, ARCO Chemical, Royal Bank of Ontario, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and Vanguard Funds.

Diane Grubbe, Flutist 

Diane Grubbe is an active performer and teacher with a special renown in contemporary music and new performance techniques on flute, piccolo, alto, and bass flutes. In the Bay Area, she has appeared with the Stockton Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Lamplighters Music Theater, Festival Opera, Pocket Opera, and many others. She is a founding member of Quinteto Latino, a wind quintet focusing on contemporary music from Latin America and Latinx Americans, commissioning and performing new works nationally. She often performs with the avant-garde ensemble sfSound. She has been a guest artist with Earplay, the Eco Ensemble, Santa Cruz New Music Works, and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. She earned degrees in flute performance from San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is on the San Francisco Community Music Center faculty and maintains a private teaching studio.

Monica Scott, Cellist

Monica Scott has performed as a cellist throughout the United States, Europe, Argentina, Canada, and South Korea, engaging audiences with energetic, eloquent playing. She has been a member of the avant-garde ensemble sfSound since 2000 and the cellist in the award-winning Del Sol String Quartet from 2001-2005. In 2006, she joined pianist Hadley McCarroll to form "martha & monica," performing and recording masterworks and challenging contemporary repertoire. In 2019, she appeared with the Dresher Ensemble in Žibuoklė Martinaitytė’s In Search of Lost Beauty. She is a composer, notably as a member of LIGHTFAST, a collaboration with two visual artists, a writer, and herself as a performer, improviser, and sound sculptor. She earned a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College Conservatory and a Soloist’s Diploma from the Sweelinck Conservatorium (Amsterdam) and maintains an active private teaching studio in Oakland.

Frank Johnson, Pianist

Frank Johnson has, for over fifty years, served as a musical and vocal director, conductor, composer/arranger, pianist and chamber musician, coach and accompanist, educator, and arts administrator/consultant. Degrees in piano and composition from Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. He performed as a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, founded a chamber orchestra and producer/presenter, the Pittsburgh Philharmonia, served as General Manager of Music at Gretna (chamber music and jazz), and as General Director of Mississippi Opera. In the Bay Area, he has served as a staff musician for Beach Blanket Babylon and Teatro Zinzanni. He has provided music and vocal direction for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Marin Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Pocket Opera, and many others. He is currently with the Jarvis Conservatory in Napa as Musical Director and host of a monthly concert, special events, and productions.

Primadonna!

Exploring gender performance from Kyoto to Rome

Click Here For Tickets

Baroque opera and Kabuki theater might have more in common than you realize. One link is that both genres have a long history of onstage cross-dressing. In “Primadonna!” these classical art forms of the East and West converge into an evening of fun and curiosity!

“Primadonna!” will be an exploration of how gender plays a significant role in Baroque opera and Kabuki theater. Recent headlines might have one believing that drag performance is a newer trend when in reality, it is a centuries-old art form. The program will be a lovely potpourri of Kabuki performances, and serenades of Italian opera, accompanied by engaging discussions about both genres. Don’t miss out on the fun and join us for a fantastic start of the SF Salon Music season!

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 pm, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Dylan Benander, Countertenor

Dylan Benander (they/them) is an emerging countertenor who moved to the Bay Area in 2022. After receiving their BA in music with a queer studies minor from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 2022, they began to graduate vocal study at San Francisco State University and expect to graduate in 2024 with a Master's in Vocal Performance. Specializing in the music of castrati and sacred music of the Baroque period,

Dylan has performed as the Sorceress in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and has presented excerpts from varied roles in myriad scene shows. These excerpts include operatic works by Mozart and Handel and more contemporary Broadway music from Six! The Musical and Carousel.

Dana Marie Chan, Pianist

Dana Marie Chan has performed as a collaborative and solo pianist and trumpeter in recitals, competitions, orchestras, wind, jazz, and new music ensembles in the United States and Asia.

She received her Master’s degree in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Collaborative Piano and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California San Diego with a double major in Music - Piano Performance and International Business.

She is the Operations and Development Assistant at the San Francisco Performances. She teaches piano and performs in the Bay Area as a collaborative pianist.

Mark Frey, Kabuki aficionado

Mark Frey developed a passion for Kabuki theatre and Japanese performing arts while living and working in Japan on the JET Program. Since returning to the Bay Area, he has been an active member of the San Mateo Japanese American Community Center’s Kabuki Kai.

In 2010, he founded JETAANC Kabuki Club and has led classes in our community to foster a love of Japanese performing arts. When Mark is not involved with Kabuki, he is active in the JET Program Alumni Association of Northern California and Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Association.

Nick Ishimaru, Co-founder of Kunoichi Productions

Nick Ishimaru (he/him) is a co-founder of San Francisco-based Kunoichi Productions.  Prior to working with Kunoichi, he served as the Artistic Director of the Theatre of Yugen from 2016 to 2020.  He holds a BA in Performing Arts from Colorado State University, where he directed a kabuki adaptation of Macbeth, a Masters in Drama from San Francisco State University, and did additional doctorate work at the University of Hawaii. He has trained in noh and kyōgen for over 10 years with the Theatre of Yugen, Theatre Nohgaku, and the Kita School noh master Oshima Teruhisa in Tokyo.  Ishimaru has also studied kabuki, jingju (Beijing Opera), and nihon buyo (traditional Japanese dance).  He has led master classes on various performing arts topics for all levels from elementary school through university and has presented work at conferences and university lectures both in the Bay Area and internationally.

Heels

Walk and Dance in Your Own Shoes

For Tickets, Click Here

They say that to know a person’s journey, you need to walk a mile in their shoes. At this salon, we’ll learn about the stories of several dancers through the history of their shoes - from bare feet to pointe slippers to tango heels!

The program will start with a talk about the symbolism and feminism of shoes, why women wear heels, and how wearing heels changes and reflects the body - the look from outside the shoes and the feel from inside the shoes. Then, join us for riveting dance performances from a group of trained dancers representing many different styles. You'll walk away inspired, and learn a bit more to tell your story with your own shoes.

As always with SF Salon Music, expect the unexpected! You'll leave with new knowledge, new memories, and perhaps even a new connection. Join us on April 30 at the Verdi Club in San Francisco for this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 PM, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Sara E. Melzer, Professor Emerita, Author, and Tango Dancer

Sara E. Melzer is Professor Emerita of French and Francophone Studies at UCLA. She is a certified Mindfulness coach and has sought to integrate mindfulness into Higher Education and daily life. She has authored several books on Art and Culture. She is currently writing a book on Mindfulness and Tango.

Kayla Johnston, Actress, and Dance Program Speaker, The Classic Theatre

https://www.theclassictheatre.com

We exist to provide an irresistible, immersive experience with professional theatre that awakens the imagination, brings hope, and inspires change.

Northern California Dance Conservatory

Recognized as one of the leading dance training schools in the country, NCDC cultivates technically proficient, passionate young artists who celebrate dance as an art form. The alumni of the program are spread across the world, fulfilling their dreams as professional dancers, choreographers, educators, students, and leaders in their communities. https://www.ncdc.com

Roaring ‘20s

Jazz and Cabaret in Silent Film

For tickets click here.

Step into a 1920s speakeasy, right here at the Verdi Club! This salon pairs sultry jazz vocal stylings with some behind-the-scenes knowledge of how the silent films of Hollywood began.

Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served prior to the performance, followed by dessert after the program, and opportunities for the audience and artists to mingle and exchange. You will definitely walk away entertained, having learned something new, and perhaps even with a new friendship or connection!

This intimate performance is unlike any other performed in the Bay Area, and we invite you to spread the word to friends and family to let them know about this rare experience.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 PM, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Elise Thora Volkmann, Film Scholar

Elise Thora Volkmann is a second-year PhD candidate in the Department of German at the University of California, Berkeley, with a Designated Emphasis in Film & Media and Critical Theory. Her research focuses on music specifically written to accompany silent films produced during the interwar period in Germany. She also has a deep passion for the reconstruction of silent film scores. Prior to starting her PhD, Elise received her B.A in German Studies and her B.M. in Voice Performance from the Oberlin College and Conservatory in 2018. After graduating from Oberlin, she attended the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University to continue her training as an opera singer. She also holds an M.M. in Musicology and Voice Performance from the Peabody Conservatory.

Noa Levy, Jazz Vocalist

As quoted by JAZZIT magazine: “Noa Levy is at the same time classic and contemporary”.  Noa is an accomplished international Jazz vocalist who has performed around the SF Bay Area at SF Jazz, Cafe Claude & Club Deluxe, and nationwide with the Richard Brown Orchestra and tours in Israel and Europe. She is currently touring with her trio "The Experts" in support of her upcoming single release "If You Never Fall In Love With Me" and working on a new album with British pianist Paul Edis.  

Born for the stage, Noa creates an energetic, groove-filled performance and heartfelt, intimate moments. She draws on materials from her diverse musical background and re-arranges selections by Sting, Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, and Stevie Wonder to make unique musical experiences relevant to our lives today. 

Art Khu, Pianist

Art Khu has been playing jazz piano for since he was four years old, as well as violin, guitar, bass and organ. In high school he studied at Yale School of Music before going to Oberlin Conservatory, where he got a degree in classical piano performance. He frequently plays at the Fillmore Jazz Festival, as well as other venues in the local San Francisco jazz scene. He has recorded several albums and plays in a quartet, often alongside bassist Jon Evans and drummer-percussionist Josh Jones, and with his wife, vocalist Jacqui Naylor.

In addition to his musical pursuits, Khu starred as an actor in the short film “Pictures from the Gone World”, for which he also wrote most of the music.

Tradition And Celebration

The Way of Tea and Alphorn Music

For tickets click here.

Ring in the new year with a celebration by exploring the music and traditions of two unique cultures. You’ll be whisked away to the snowy hills of the Swiss Alps to hear the sounding of the alpine horn. Then, we will hop over to Japan to experience the traditional Japanese way of tea from an experienced tea practitioner.


Drinks and hors d'eouvres will be served prior to the performance, followed by dessert after the program, and opportunities for the audience and artists to mingle and exchange. You will definitely walk away entertained, having learned something new, and perhaps even with a new friendship or connection!

This intimate performance is unlike any other performed in the Bay Area, and we invite you to spread the word to friends and family to let them know about this rare experience.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 PM, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Monika Ryser

Monika Ryser was born and raised in Switzerland and learned to play the cornet in 1982. She has been playing in different concert bands, British-style brass bands, and other small brass ensembles ever since. In 1993 she picked up the alphorn and has played this unique instrument on many occasions. She has performed for wedding receptions, company parties, and Swiss Community events. In 2022, she soloed the alphorn with the Pacific Brass at the Monterey Jazz Bash. Monika enjoys sharing the culture and traditions of Switzerland.

Toshiko Sobin Ueda

Toshiko is originally from Kyoto, Japan, and began her tea studies in 1993.  She has been practicing the Urasenke Tradition of Tea for 30 years and received her tea name (chamei) Sobin (宗敏) in 2005.  The Urasenke Tradition goes back to the direct lineage of the Great Tea Master, Sen Rikyu (1522 - 1591), and has actively provided a wide variety of programs to promote the way of tea in the world.  She has been participating in educational programs and teaching classes at the Urasenke Foundation in San Francisco as well as at her own home in Sunnyvale.

Into the Woods | Les Misérables

A Journey Through Song and Story

For tickets click here.

Join us for a staged production that brings together highlights from two beloved musicals, “Into the Woods” and “Les Misérables”, with narration from a local storyteller to guide us through a journey of hope, perseverance, and love.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 PM, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Performers

Call and Response

Conversations for Viola, Cello and Dance

For tickets click here.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 PM, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.

Viola and Cello

Dance

Part one – Juri Yun, Guitar

D. Scarlatti, Sonata in A major K.208 

Piazzolla, Invierno Porteno 

J.K Mertz, An Malvina

J.S Bach Bach, BWV 998 Prelude & Allegro

Part two – Leslie Rabine, Fashion Scholar

What would you wear to go to a concert in the time of Bach himself? What is the relationship between fashion and music in a given historical era? A virtual historical fashion presentation.

Photo credit: Malika Diagana

About the artists:

Juri Yun, Guitar

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Juri Yun has risen as one of Canada’s top guitarists. He has performed in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Since 2014, Juri has won top prizes in both Canada and the US. Most recently, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall as the winner of the Elite International Music Competition.  

He completed his Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of the esteemed and world-renowned guitarist, Dr. Jeffrey McFadden and his Master of Music in Guitar at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under guitar legend, Maestro David Tanenbaum. 

www.juriyun.com

Leslie Rabine, Professor Emerita of Universities of California, Davis and Irvine

Professor Emerita of Women and Gender Studies and French at the University of California, Davis. She is co-author and co-editor of African Print Fashion Now! (Washington University Press, 2017). The book is based on an exhibition of the same name that she co-curated at the Fowler Museum, UCLA. 

She is currently co-editing a special issue of the International Journal of Fashion Studies (to appear in October 2022). With a background in photography and graphic design, she has recently published photos in Cale Waddacor’s Street Art Africa (Thames & Hudson, 2020).