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SoCal is still spooky (but just a bit)! Now that Halloween is over, it's time for some of my favorite music, as the programming around Dia de Los Muertos and All Souls' Day tends to include a lot of gorgeous Requiems, celebrations of life (and everything else), and beautifully meditative concerts. The choral season is indeed in fully swing, but this week also includes the much-anticipated return of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet at LA Opera, a wide variety of innovative concerts, with so many yummy choices. Have a beautiful week, make delightful music, and keep up the great work!

Vocal-related events in Southern California

November 1

Young love…nothing is more all-consuming, turbulent, passionate, and heartbreaking.

The first opera San Diego Opera produced, this beloved masterwork follows the lives of a group of young struggling artists in Paris, including the poet Rodolfo and the seamstress Mimì, as they navigate love, friendship, and hardship. Full of some of the greatest melodies and arias Puccini ever composed, the production is inspired by San Diego Opera’s acclaimed 2020 drive-in La bohème centered in Rodolfo’s memory of an unforgettable romance.

Independent Opera Company kicks off its 2024-2025 season with The Stone Guest by A. Dargomyzhsky. This 19th-century Russian opera is based on a short play by the famous Russian poet A. Pushkin. The story is very similar to Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart and is based on the legends of Don Juan, a fictional libertine and seducer created by the Spanish writer Tirso de Molina in the 17th century.

Gustavo Dudamel leads a festive exploration of Latin American music for Día de los Muertos with Villa-Lobos’ progressive tour de force and Gabriela Ortiz’s 2019 Yanga. Her work for orchestra, chorus, and percussion ensemble is characterized by its use of African instruments and colorful, multilayered rhythms. Ortiz says, “[Yanga] speaks to the greatness of humanity when in search of equality and the universal right to enjoy freedom to the fullest.” Revueltas’ film score La noche de los Mayas digs deeper into Mexico’s ancient culture brought into conversation with the modern world, bolting through thunderous, dynamic rhythms and a flute interlude based on a traditional Yucatan evening song. Within the music is what poet Octavio Paz describes as Revueltas’ “deep-felt but also joyful concern for man.”

Come early to craft your own nicho shadow box, take in an exhibition of ofrendas, or enjoy a complimentary beverage atop Walt Disney Concert Hall with Drinks in the Garden.

November 2

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of legendary American poet Robert Frost (1874–1963), the San Diego Master Chorale is partnering with The Robert Frost Society, Library Foundation SD, San Diego Public Library and Sweetwater Union High Schools to present a series of concerts and community programs in honor of the occasion.

Arias & Duets from Cantatas by J.S. Bach, Christoph Graupner, and J.A. Hasse. Andrea Zomorodian, soprano Michael Skarke, countertenor John Buffett, baritone.

A love so passionate. So poetic. So forbidden.

Two feuding families rule Verona, with the Montagues and Capulets each determined to write their victory in blood. A chance meeting between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet sparks a forbidden romance. But it wouldn’t be a Shakespearean tragedy without...well...tragedy.

Famed Venezuelan conductor Domingo Hindoyan and our very own Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados lead Gounod’s romantic score, studded with one gorgeous love duet after another. Rising stars Amina Edris and Duke Kim make their house debuts as opera’s favorite star-crossed lovers, with Justin Austin in his debut as Mercutio and company favorite Craig Colclough as Lord Capulet. Enter a sensuous, elegant world of vengeful duels and young love as this beloved classic returns to LA Opera for the first time since 2011.

November 3

Join VOX Femina Los Angeles, LA's premier women's chorus, for the launch of the 28th season with a concert that delivers a significant and timely message right on the eve of the election! Hear the compelling return of Andrea Ramsey's emotionally charged "Suffrage Cantata," along with other stirring pieces that celebrate the bravery required to create change. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the unifying power of music and be part of something truly impactful!

St. Francis de Sales Choir and Wagner Ensemble, under the direction of Jeannine Wagner, are performing their Annual All Souls Memorial Concert. The program features the rarely performed Messe des morts by Charpentier, with chorus, soloists and orchestra. Another highlight is the haunting Song for Athene by Tavener, which was performed at Princess Diana's funeral. The program will be rounded out with Messe Solennelle by Vierne, and the perennial favorite, In Paradisum from Requiem by Fauré.

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate the rich history and future of the American Feel Young Chorus with a spectacular musical performance!

Celebrate a decade of harmony and community at the American Feel Young Chorus 10th Anniversary Concert! Established in early 2015 within the Irvine Chinese community, this choir has blossomed into a vibrant group of over 100 members, united by their love of singing. Originally gathering to sing Chinese songs for major holidays, their dedication has transformed into regular practice sessions under the guidance of a professional conductor.

Join us for the West Coast première of the Requiem in A Major by Heinrich Biber, who preceded Mozart at Salzburg Cathedral by nearly a century. Come hear period instruments and virtuoso vocal soloists bring this rarely-heard masterpiece back to life.

November 4

Likely the last schmooze of 2024! This event is a very simple hang, with no non-member fees, and few frills. Please bring a friend, have some great food (everyone orders their own, so you set your own budget), and meet some great people. This is a chance to network, unwind and just be ourselves, together. See you there!

November 5

Piano solo. Violin solo. Soprano solo. Chamber music:

Fantasy in c minor, K. 475, Mozart.

Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Beethoven.

Soprano solos, Liszt.

Trio in b flat minor, Opus 274, Reinecke. Clarinet, French horn, piano

And don't forget to vote!

...for more listings, and click "Submit Event" at the top to submit your happening!

Events must be submitted by Wednesday evening of the appropriate newsletter week to be included on Friday's issue. Please do not submit auditions or deadlines to the calendar - contact us instead, and we'll help spread the word in other ways.

PLEASE NOTE: Things change, and we are not always notified.

Always check the presenter's own website or social media pages for availability, and get details and updates directly from the source.

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