If you’re not a Puyallup resident, you might be forgiven for thinking of Pioneer Pavilion as just a big, breezy venue for the Farmers’ Market and other noisy events. But this year it’s also been a regular classical music hub – the home of the Northwest Sinfonietta, who in addition to Seattle’s Benaroya Hall and Tacoma’s Rialto Theater, have established an appreciative audience in Puyallup. Last weekend’s concert proved that not only does Puyallup love the Sinfonietta, but their music sounds pretty good in the Pavilion. It’ll also sound good on their just-announced Cuba tour next January.

The 40-odd tables …

Read more »

If you know Mussorgsky, Debussy or Gershwin, you’d normally think of their music as piano pieces, or the big orchestral versions with clanging bells, blasting brass and more. But for its concerts this weekend in Seattle, Tacoma and Puyallup, the Northwest Sinfonietta will play chamber-orchestra arrangements of all three composers: 20^th-century masterpieces with an unusual twist.

Arrangers don’t normally get star treatment – these hard-working folk who take someone else’s music and score it for a completely different set of instruments are billed underneath the composer, and often ignored. But each piece in the Sinfonietta’s upcoming concert relies on …

Read more »

For its sold-out Mozartiana concert in the Rialto Saturday night, the Northwest Sinfonietta did what it does best: classical music, elegant and thoughtful, and capped with an ethereal new composition for clarinet by Alissa Firsova.

After opening with a Rossini overture – “La Scala di Seta” – that involved sprightly violins, edgy horns and a blossoming oboe solo, plus subtly quirky timing from director Christophe Chagnard, Firsova herself stepped forward to introduce her piece. Commissioned by Seattle clarinet soloist Laurie DeLuca and given a world premiere on Friday night in Seattle, the piece, as explained clearly and personably by the …

Read more »

Canonici sings a Renaissance tapestry at UPS

The Tacoma-based four-voice consort Canonici will sing “Musica Antiqua” at the University of Puget Sound tonight, featuring Renaissance English and Flemish madrigals, chansons and masses. 7:30 p.m. tonight. $12.50/$8.50/free for UPS students. Schneebeck Hall, UPS, 1500 N. Warner St., Tacoma. 253-879-3419, www.pugetsound.edu

Northwest Sinfonietta does Mozart

The chamber ensemble celebrates the genius of Mozart with his Symphony no. 40, his clarinet concerto played by Laurie DeLuca, a Rossini overture and a clarinet concerto world premiere by Elena Firsova. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, $19-$39 at Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th …

Read more »

Northwest Sinfonietta goes gypsy

Playing on past successes, the Northwest Sinfonietta is revisiting Gypsy jazz in a fusion concert this weekend that features a new Django Reinhardt-inspired composition by director Christophe Chagnard for three jazz guitars and orchestra. Also on the program is Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto no. 1 with Mark Salman and Mahler’s 5^th symphony Adagietto. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 (Seattle) and 13 (Tacoma), 2 p.m. Nov. 14 (Puyallup.) $19-$49. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, 866-833-4747. Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th St., Tacoma, 253-591-5894. Pioneer Park Pavilion, 330 S. Meridian, Puyallup, 800-838-3006. www.nwsinfonietta.org

Second City Chamber Series goes to …

Read more »

Four of Tacoma’s main performing arts groups – the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Sinfonietta, Tacoma Opera and the Broadway Center for Performing Arts – have announced their 2010-2011 seasons, and there’s a refreshing array of new work on the cards. And for those wanting to buy subscription tickets, now’s the time to get good seats and deals. 

Northwest Sinfonietta

The Sinfonietta kicks off its 20^th anniversary year with the first classical concert of the season on Oct. 1, 2 and 3. Three nights? You bet. Because for each of the five concert programs, there are three separate performances …

Read more »

Seattle Symphony does Bugs Bunny

The Seattle Symphony combines cartoons and classical music in “Bugs Bunny on Broadway” – if you loved Bugs’ cheeky, sudsy version of “The Barber of Seville” you’ll love this live concert with large screen projections of Warner Bros. cartoons. 7:30 p.m. July 7 and 8. $20-$65. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle. 206-215-4747, www.seattlesymphony.org

Tacoma-centric at Freedom Fair

This year’s Freedom Fair along Ruston Way includes an area designated for local artists, where you can hear local bands and find something handmade, unique and Tacoma-made. July 4. Free. Ruston Way in Marine Park near The …

Read more »

It’s the ultimate romantic evening: romantic musically, that is. This Saturday night the Northwest Repertory Singers finish their season with an all-French concert of choral jewels from Fauré, Duruflé and the like. Local baritone Barry Johnson is the soloist. And as a bonus, they’re hiring an orchestra for the first time.

“Contracting with the Northwest Sinfonietta is an exciting step,” says NWRS director Paul Schulz. “It’s part of the natural progession of NWRS as one of the premier vocal ensembles in the Northwest.”

The choir, which will celebrate its 10^th anniversary next season, is known for high-quality singing and …

Read more »