The Santa Barbara Symphony continues its 2023/24 season with Symphonic Spectaculars featuring Grammy®-award-winning artists Time for Three, a trio who thrive at the intersection of classical music, Americana and modern pop. Music & Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti leads the orchestra in this artistic collaboration at The Granada Theatre on Saturday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 p.m., preceded by “Conversations with Kabaretti”– a pre-concert talk at 2:00 p.m.
The season’s symphonic journey continues with the infectious high-energy artistry of Grammy®-winning string trio Time for Three performing Contact, a triple concerto that explores the human experience, from acclaimed/Pulitzer-prize winning American composer Kevin Puts. The concerts are part of the prestigious California Festival, a two-week statewide music showcase spotlighting the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the past five years. Over 100 organizations will feature over 180 new works throughout California from November 3 – 19.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Grammy®-winning artists Time for Three to create an event
that will have the audience on the edge of their seats,” shared Nir Kabaretti, Santa Barbara
Symphony Music & Artistic Director. “After the tremendous community response to our opening
concerts celebrating the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s 9th, it is exciting to now share
compelling new works and diverse genres of music,” he added.
The program includes Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances with its powerful and energetic rhythms. The pace will mellow as the journey concludes with Georges Bizet’s L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 evoking the sights and sounds of rural France and Ravel’s haunting La Valse. Principal Concert Sponsor is Montecito Bank and Trust, Artist Sponsor is Barbara Ann Clark and Selection Sponsors include Karen Drown and John Trotti as well as Chris Lancashire.
The Artists
● Nir Kabaretti, Conductor
● Time for Three
○ Nicolas “Nick” Kendall, Violin and Vocals
○ Charles Yang, Violin and Vocals
○ Ranaan Meyer, Double Bass and Vocals
Repertoire
● Kevin Puts | Contact
● Alexander Borodin | Polovtsian Dances
● Georges Bizet | L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2
● Maurice Ravel | La Valse
Composer Kevin Puts’ concerto Contact, recorded by Time for Three, received the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Composition. He was recently named Composer of the Year by Musical America Worldwide. Puts holds the distinction of being the only living composer to have the same opera on the Met stage for two consecutive seasons. The Hours, which evolved from his longtime collaboration with Renee Fleming, ran to packed houses in 2023 and will undoubtedly do so again when it returns in the spring. Puts’ first opera Silent Night won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
About Time for Three
Defying convention and boundaries, Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of classical music, Americana, and singer-songwriter. To experience Time For Three (TF3) live is to hear the various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew. Bonded by an uncommon blend of their instruments fused together with their voices, Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), have found a unique voice of expression to share with the world. Learn more at tf3.com.
About The California Festival
The California Festival will take place November 3-19, 2023 and brings together organizations and ensembles from throughout the state of California including symphony orchestras, chamber music groups, jazz ensembles, choirs, and more, all performing new music. Learn more at cafestival.org
