2005 Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACTS: David Perry/Barbara Webb - David Perry & Associates
(415) 693-0583

Yerba Buena Gardens International Music Series
Nine Thursdays in June & July 2005
June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & July 7, 14, 21 & 28
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, Esplanade Gardens FREE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. May 10, 2004. For nine Thursdays throughout June and July, the 2005 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, in collaboration with consulates and cultural centers in San Francisco, will host a wide variety of accomplished musicians from around the world to play free noontime concerts. The International Music Series, an annual celebration of summer solstice, features traditional and contemporary music of Brazil, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sweden, United States, Venezuela, and Switzerland.

The Series kicks off on June 2 with a concert by Swedish soprano Mia Karlsson, recipient of the Jenny Lind Scholarship for promising sopranos. Ms. Karlsson will be accompanied by pianist Jonas Olsson.

Representing Venezuela on June 9 will be The Snake Trio plus special guests. The Snake Trio has been called "a refreshing breath of Latin Jazz with a cool Venezuelan twist that will have you savoring your Coltrane with joropo and your Ellington with calypso."

From Mexico on June 16 comes Marimba Ixim Tinamit. The group of nine musicians will play two marimbas, idiophones that are sounded by striking wooden bars with a mallet. Marimba Ixim Tinamit has participated in several regional festivals and venues, including the Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Representing Germany on June 23 will be the Septer Bourbon Jazz Quartet with German jazz pianist Markus Burger, Jan van Klewitz (sax), Uwe Ecker (drums), and Martin Gjakonovski (bass) who will perform from their highly acclaimed album The Smile of the Honeycakehorse. This concert is being presented in association with the Goethe Institut of San Francisco.

The Richard Howell Quintet will represent the United States on June 30. Multi-instrumentalist, saxophonist, and vocalist, Richard Howell has explored a vast spectrum of music. He has performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, Tonight Show, Hollywood Bowl and the Royal Albert Hall.

Representing Japan on July 7 will be shamisen group Fujimoto-kai. The 30-member group performs traditional Japanese music such as hauta, zokkyoku, short versions of nagauta, folk music and other modern Japanese and western compositions. Fujimoto-kai has performed throughout the Bay Area including the Asian Art Museum, SF MOMA, and Hakone Gardens in Saratoga.

Nicaragua will be represented on July 14 with regional music by Marvin Benavides y Su Grupo, and Los Clarks.

Renowned Swiss yodeller Lisa Ward-Dillier will represent Switzerland on July 21. Also on the program are Alphorn duets by Steve and Sue Fox.

From Brazil on July 28 comes the Mauro Correa Quinteto who will play Brazilian classical, Brazilian choro, samba, bossa nova and popular Brazilian music, Argentinean tango and world music from Latin America.

Linda Lucero, Artistic Director of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival said, "We are honored to include performers from countries around the world in our International Music Series. We invite San Franciscans and visitors to join us for these very special free performances in Yerba Buena Gardens."

Free Artistic and Cultural Programming in Yerba Buena Gardens is made possible through the generosity of The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency; The Bernard Osher Foundation; The James Irvine Foundation; The JPMorganChase Foundation; MJM Management Group; The National Endowment for the Arts; The San Francisco Arts Commission; The San Francisco Foundation; The WA Gerbode Foundation, The Walter & Elise Haas Fund; The Zellerbach Family Foundation; and individual contributions. We gratefully acknowledge in-kind contributions from Steefel, Levitt, and Weiss; LaserCom Design; The San Francisco Marriott; Metreon; San Francisco Chronicle; San Francisco Downtown Magazine; San Francisco Bay Guardian; and JC Decaux.

Yerba Buena Arts & Events, producer of The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is located at 760 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Phone (415) 543-1718; Fax (415) 543-1755; website: http://www.ybgf.org.

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Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

produced by Yerba Buena Arts & Events

Mailing Address:
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Phone: 415 543 1718
Fax: 415 543 1755
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