Del Sol Performing Arts Organization

MUSIC PERFORMANCE, COMMISSIONING, RECORDINGS, AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH.

CONCERT PERFORMANCES: IN 2021 THE DEL SOL STRING QUARTET PERFORMED NEARLY 75 CONCERTS (INCLUDING 12 WORLD PREMIERES), WITH ADAPTATIONS DURING THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC TO CONTINUE BRINGING ADVENTUROUS NEW CHAMBER MUSIC TO THE PUBLIC. FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2021 WE PRESENTED MOSTLY ONLINE PERFORMANCES AND LOCAL OUTDOOR CONCERTS. AFTER PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS EASED SOMEWHAT IN SUMMER AND FALL, DEL SOL GAVE SEVERAL LIVE PERFORMANCES INDOORS AND RESUMED LIMITED TOURING CONCERTS AWAY FROM THE BAY AREA. HIGHLIGHTS OF DEL SOLS 2021 CONCERT PERFORMANCES INCLUDE: 1) THE WORLD PREMIERE OF HUANG RUOS 85-MINUTE ANGEL ISLAND ORATORIO FOR VOICES AND STRING QUARTET, THE CULMINATION OF A 4-YEAR COLLABORATIVE PROJECT. THIS POWERFUL PIECE EXPLORES OUR NATIONS DISCRIMINATORY IMMIGRATION HISTORY THROUGH THE POEMS OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS CARVED INTO THE BARRACKS WALLS WHILE DETAINED ON ANGEL ISLAND DURING THE YEARS OF THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT. IN OCTOBER, AFTER PREVIEWING EXCERPTS IN NY AT BARD COLLEGES CHINA NOW FESTIVAL, DEL SOL PERFORMED 3 LIVE PREMIERES OF THE ORATORIO WITH THE VOLTI VOCAL ENSEMBLE AT SAN FRANCISCOS PRESIDIO THEATRE AND THE HISTORIC IMMIGRATION STATION ON ANGEL ISLAND. 2) CONTINUATION OF OUR JOY PROJECT PERFORMING 35 FREE, OUTDOOR CONCERTS IN LOCAL PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, FEATURING NEW, SHORT PIECES WRITTEN FOR DEL SOL DURING THE PANDEMIC BY DIVERSE COMPOSERS. 3) PRESENTATION OF OUR 2ND ANNUAL PACIFIC PYTHAGOREAN MUSIC FESTIVAL, STREAMED ONLINE BY OLD FIRST CONCERTS IN APRIL, FEATURING MUSIC IN ALTERNATE TUNINGS AND NON-WESTERN HARMONIC SYSTEMS PERFORMED BY DEL SOL AND 11 GUEST MUSICIANS.

COMMISSIONING OF COMPOSERS: IN 2021, SIGNIFICANT COMMISSIONING PROJECTS INCLUDED: 1) COMMISSIONING HUANG RUO TO COMPOSE THE ANGEL ISLAND ORATORIO; 2) COMMISSIONING 10 MORE COMPOSERS TO WRITE NEW, SHORT PIECES FOR DEL SOLS JOY PROJECT IN ADDITION TO THE 11 COMMISSIONED IN 2020; AND 3) ENTERING INTO A COMMISSIONING AGREEMENT WITH AN EMERGING COMPOSER IN MA TO WRITE A NEW PIECE FOR STRING QUARTET AND CLARINET.

RECORDINGS: IN OCTOBER 2021, WE RELEASED DEL SOLS 11TH FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, A DUST IN TIME, HUANG RUOS HOUR-LONG PANDEMIC STRING QUARTET MEDITATION, WITH A COMPANION COLORING BOOK. IT DEBUTED AS 3 ON THE BILLBOARD CLASSICAL CHARTS AND GARNERED RAVE REVIEWS. OTHER SIGNIFICANT 2021 RECORDING PROJECTS INCLUDED: 1) A FEBRUARY RELEASE OF KOOCH-E KHAMN, A WORLD PREMIERE ALBUM OF WORKS BY YOUNG IRANIAN AMERICAN COMPOSERS, RECORDED AT A DEL SOL UNIVERSITY CONCERT IN 2019; AND 2) THE ONLINE VIDEO RELEASE OF AERYN SANTILLAN'S IMMIGRATION-THEMED WORK "WHAT MAPS DON'T TELL" IN 4 INSTALLMENTS.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH: IN 2021, SIGNIFICANT DEL SOL EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: 1) SEVERAL ANGEL ISLAND INSIGHT COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE OCTOBER PREMIERES OF HUANG RUOS ANGEL ISLAND - ORATORIO, HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH THE LAST HOISAN POETS, ARTIST/EDUCATOR ANDREA WONG, AND THE ASIAN PACIFIC CULTURAL CENTER; 2) DEL SOLS RESIDENCY WITH HUANG RUO AT BARD COLLEGES CHINA NOW FESTIVAL IN NY THE WEEK BEFORE THE OCTOBER PREMIERES; 3) COMPOSITION WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES HELD ONLINE FOR SEVERAL OTHER COLLEGES, SCHOOLS, NEW MUSIC PLATFORMS; AND 4) CONTINUING OUR COMPOSER INCUBATOR PROGRAM, MENTORING EARLY CAREER COMPOSERS, WITH NEW WORKS BY THREE 2021 PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED BY DEL SOL AT 5 CONCERTS, MOSTLY HELD ONLINE AND OUTDOORS.