So many brilliant ensembles packed with elite musicians—Santa Cruz is a full house of musical riches. The seasons are often short and sweet, but the programming is always ferocious. Often transformative.
It’s a scene that richly deserves attention, which is why Good Times is launching a monthly spotlight on music and theatrical events. My column will include a look ahead, so devotees can mark their calendars, but will also comment on past highlights.
To start things off, consider these three upcoming events: the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival (March 1), the Santa Cruz Chamber Players (March 15–16) and the Santa Cruz Chorale (May 17–18). Running through all three concerts is in-demand flutist Lars Johannesson, who also performs with New Music Works and Espressivo. Plus, he sings bass—and apparently he never sleeps.
Part of the Baroque Festival’s “house band” since he arrived in Santa Cruz 30 years ago, the Swedish-born flute virtuoso is committed to Baroque music and his two dozen private students. Uniquely placed to have his highly trained fingers on the pulse of small ensemble music in Santa Cruz, Johannesson is proof that there’s enough support from a passionate local audience for all these groups to exist.
People come to hear the programs, be it of rare and gorgeous classics by Bach and Palestrina, or the edgy creations of John Cage and Larry Polansky. And they come to savor the outstanding craftsmanship of music directors such as Ensemble Monterey’s John Anderson and the Baroque Festival’s Jörg Reddin. As well as outstanding performers like Johannesson.
Among the professionals weaving authentic culture into our community are the bohemians of New Music Works, those who gather to perform electrifying, often barely comprehensible new music under the direction of Philip Collins. Equally mesmerizing programming is the specialty of the Santa Cruz Chorale (Johannesson again), whose director, Christian Grube, crafts and refines memorable performances from Renaissance masterpieces and Icelandic folk carols to mystical gems from Estonian Arvo Pärt. santacruzchorale.org
Emerging composers of the 21st century are featured in the upcoming Ensemble Monterey concert. Soprano Lori Schulman (who also curates the Opera Project) solos in Pulitzer Prize-winning Christopher Cerrone’s The Pieces That Fall to Earth. Led by maestra Cheryl Anderson, Cantiamo performs The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, a new multimedia work by Jocelyn Hagen, 7pm March 22 (in Monterey) and March 23 (Peace United Church, Santa Cruz). ensemblemonterey.org
Mark those calendars for Santa Cruz Chamber Players’ “Among the Fuchsias” program, featuring a world premiere by concert director Chris Pratorius Gómez. Concerts begin at 7:30pm on March 15 and 3pm at Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos. scchamberplayers.org
This week the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival concludes its 2025 season with a 4pm concert on March 1 at Peace United Church, with new artistic director Jörg Reddin performing both as organist and bass baritone singer, accompanied by the UCSC Chamber Singers and the Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble. scbaroque.org
Reddin’s concerts this year have been boldly programmed and dazzling in presentation, from the playful opera setting of Bach’s Coffee Cantata (more Johannesson, this time on baroque flute) to last week’s rare and mesmerizing works for organ, violin and cello. Shannon D’Antonio went supernova with elegant legatos and pyrotechnic cadenzas on an amazing Bach Sonata No.1 in G minor for solo violin. Reddin has brought fierce energy and virtuosity to Santa Cruz’s already well-populated field of musical masterminds.
Johannesson, who plays all over the Bay Area and Central Coast throughout the year, admits that he puts in some practice time before each concert: “I need to keep my chops in shape! Basic maintenance of my technique of embouchure [the required lips, tongue, and mouth control for a wind instrument], technique for sound, and my finger technique for facility. And given all the various programs I tend to have a lot of new music to work on. I need to learn it and play it up to speed. That takes practicing.”
With so many tempting programs, is there enough audience to go around? Johannesson thinks so. “We do a little bit of cross pollination in terms of getting audiences, and having a publicity blast about a concert on somebody else’s program. We’re all friends, so we can do that.”
Making music is a passionate calling. Check out any of the upcoming small ensemble concerts and you’ll feel the heat. And follow my new column, Performance, for more reviews and updates.
Hello Christina,
I’m glad to see your new Performance column. I wonder if you are aware of our classical string orchestra, the Concertino Strings, that meets and performs regularly in Boulder Creek. I’m Joanne Tanner, the director. I have been listing our concerts regularly in the GT events, but would love to have a little more about the orchestra in Good Times. We play a new program about every 2 months and have been increasing in size and quality for the last four years; we began as a pandemic group when many dedicated string players had no place to play for several years because the Cabrillo performing groups shut down.
Hello Christina, somehow I apparently pressed a SEND button before I was finished with my comment so it was incomplete. I will continue here. I especially wanted to direct you to our website concertinostrings.com to learn more about Concertino Strings. We now regularly have 25 members, string players from all over Santa Cruz County and often incorporate harpsichord, organ or piano and sometimes guest wind or percussion. Please let me know if you want more information.
Our next concerts are at our “residence,” the historic 150 year old Boulder Creek United Methodist Church, 12855 Boulder Street, on April 9th, Wednesday at 11:30 am and April 12, Saturday at 3:00 pm. The theme is “Celebrate Spring with Strings.” The program will be Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Op 20, subtitled “Spring Serenade”; Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin and Organ, Joanne Tanner and Robert Jackson, soloists; Renata Bratt’s Joy in the Day, an upbeat mashup of fiddle tunes mixed with “Singing in the Rain” and “Blue Skies” – the audience will have an opportunity to join in on vocals!
Admission is always FREE with donations gratefully accepted. Concerts are an hour long. For more info about the orchestra go to concertinostrings.com