Fans of the Santa Rosa Symphony and its music director, Francesco Lecce-Chong, will have a chance to see the orchestra\u2019s musicians from a fresh vantage point this weekend as they inaugurate a new chamber music series at the Brannan Center in Calistoga.<\/p>\n
The series begins Saturday and Sunday with two ambitious concerts featuring all six of Bach\u2019s Brandenburg Concertos, performed by 20 musicians, including Lecce-Chong on harpsichord. It will return in February 2026 with a family-friendly performance of Prokofiev\u2019s \u201cPeter and the Wolf,\u201d and again in May 2026 with \u201cThe American Sound,\u201d a program marking the nation\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019m hoping for this season is to show three different ways that our orchestra could present ourselves in smaller ensembles,\u201d Lecce-Chong said in a phone interview. \u201cThis fall is our biggest vision, being able to perform all six Brandenburg concertos \u2026 It\u2019s the pinnacle of Baroque music as well as, in some sense, chamber music, because each concerto represents different possibilities and different combinations of instruments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bringing chamber music to new audiences<\/h4>\n
The new\u00a0Santa Rosa Symphony at the Brannan Center\u00a0series is one of several chamber initiatives already underway as the orchestra approaches its centennial season in 2027\u201328.<\/p>\n
For the past two summers, small ensembles have performed at Sonoma County wineries as part of the \u201cSymphony Uncorked\u201d series. And after piloting a library program last year, Lecce-Chong said the orchestra plans to present concerts annually at every Sonoma County library branch.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really exciting to reach a whole different community in a whole new way \u2013 the camaraderie that it builds in the orchestra, the connection with the audience and the outreach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Brannan Center, originally built as a Presbyterian church in 1872, has been remade into a community and performing arts center with two halls, three multipurpose rooms, a commercial kitchen and outdoor spaces. Over the past six years, more than $12 million has been raised from roughly 300 donors for its renovation. Calistoga architect Tim Wilkes donated his time to the project, blending the building\u2019s historic charm with modern, state-of-the-art upgrades, including soundproofing and streaming capability.<\/p>\n The center was intentionally designed to meet a wide range of community needs \u2013 weddings, quincea\u00f1eras, service club meetings \u2013 often taking place simultaneously with concerts and classes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a need identified for a local performing arts center and a desire to expose children to local arts,\u201d said executive director Kyle Clausen, who joined in July. \u201cIt was designed for many uses and has different entrances.\u201d<\/p>\n Set in a residential neighborhood just blocks from downtown, the center is also within walking distance of local schools. Educational programs already include French and Spanish conversation classes, exercise programs for older adults, a high school mariachi club and a drama class for young actors ages 7 to 10.<\/p>\n Although the center aims to attract audiences from \u201cUpvalley\u201d \u2013 Calistoga, Angwin, St. Helena and Yountville \u2013 it is only a 25-minute drive from Santa Rosa.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not that far away, but it\u2019s a different experience,\u201d Clausen said of Calistoga, known for its unusual juxtaposition of natural hot springs and world-class wineries, charming \u201cOld West\u201d storefronts and luxury resorts.<\/p>\n The Brannan Center\u2019s grand opening on Oct. 4 and 5 offered a vibrant mix of food trucks, information booths, self-guided tours and performances by local artists. Violinist Daria Tedeschi Adams, co-artistic director of Music in the Vineyards, performed Haydn and Brahms with a trio from the Napa Valley summer festival she co-founded 32 years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were the first group to play in the hall,\u201d said Adams, who returns in December with the Bay Area choir Aeternum for a \u201cChristmas in the Vineyards\u201d program. \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to play in and very easy to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n The inaugural season includes a monthly Comedy Night, concerts spanning jazz, folk, Celtic and African music, and an affordable four-concert Listening Room series featuring local musicians, including jazz pianist Larry Vuckovich and the StringCircle quartet led by Santa Rosa Symphony concertmaster Joe Edelberg.<\/p>\n Both the Listening Room and the symphony series are underwritten by Sara and Edward Kozel of Calistoga, two of the center\u2019s major donors. Frederick T. Caven Jr. provided additional support for the symphony series. Sara Kozel serves on the Santa Rosa Symphony board.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so grateful, and it was a great privilege to work with them to make this a reality,\u201d Lecce-Chong said. \u201cThey have been the masterminds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be a community center in terms of a meeting place,\u201d Edward Kozel added. \u201cAnd there\u2019s a deep desire to stay local. We all drive over the hill, but nobody wants to drive it at night. It\u2019s a long, dark road.\u201d<\/p>\n The symphony\u2019s chamber music series will be presented in Kozel Hall, which features a stage replacing the former church sanctuary. It retains the original redwood ceiling \u2014 prized for acoustics \u2014 and seats 109 guests. Behind it, the Upper Hall, once the church\u2019s social hall, can be opened to provide 40 additional seats.<\/p>\n A Steinway Model B Classic Grand piano is stored backstage for keyboard concerts, such as a recent recital by Russian-American pianist Olga Kern.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the perfect, intimate recital space, with wonderful acoustics,\u201d Lecce-Chong said. \u201cIt always sounds full, no matter how many musicians are playing.\u201d<\/p>\n The Brandenburg Concertos, composed between 1711 and 1720, deploy a wide range of solo instruments \u2013 including trumpet, violin, harpsichord and viola \u2013 set against a small orchestra.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such an exciting thing for me,\u201d Lecce-Chong said. \u201cI\u2019ve done three of the concertos, but it\u2019s been a long-time dream of mine to participate and perform all six of them. To be quite frank, I never thought it would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Santa Rosa Symphony at the Brannan Center: An Intimate Chamber Series includes:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n What:<\/strong> Bach \u2013 The Brandenburg Concertos. The Santa Rosa Symphony, with music director Francesco Lecce-Chong on harpsichord, performs all six Brandenburg Concertos.<\/span> What:<\/strong> Family Concert \u2013 \u201cPeter and the Wolf.\u201d A family-friendly performance of Prokofiev\u2019s classic, plus Michael Djupstrom\u2019s \u201cThe Seahorse and the Crab.\u201d Arrive early for the children\u2019s instrument petting zoo. What:<\/strong> The American Sound (An America250 Celebration). Explore 150 years of American classical music with the Santa Rosa Symphony String Quartet, hosted and narrated by Francesco Lecce-Chong.![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pressdemocrat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/TPD-L-BS-092925-Brannan3.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
A historic church becomes a cultural hub<\/h4>\n
An opening season with broad appeal<\/h4>\n
![\"Kozel](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pressdemocrat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/TPD-L-BS-092925-Brannan12.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
A hall tailored for chamber music<\/h4>\n
If You Go<\/h2>\n
When:<\/strong>\u00a07:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23
Tickets:<\/strong>\u00a0$69\u2013$89 (may be sold out)<\/p>\n
When:\u00a0<\/strong>3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1
Tickets:<\/strong>\u00a0$30 adults, $15 children<\/p>\n
When:<\/strong>\u00a07:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16
Tickets:<\/strong> $59\u2013$79<\/p>\n