Wow, what an amazing experience! I got an opportunity to watch the Peninsula Symphony perform at the Flint Center thanks to Yelp. =) Since it was open seating, me and my sister were able to choose where we wanted to sit. We got there an hour before the show started, so we were able to sit in the 6th row (middle)! I was surprised to see a lot of people already seated an hour before the show, too. There was a man speaking on stage, and he was discussing the show. I thought that was pretty cool. He went over the program and gave us some background info. Ten minutes before the show started, I saw all the performers tuning their instruments. There was definitely a lot of noise on stage. =) Finally, the lights began to dim and the show was about to start. I was waiting in anticipation. =) I really enjoyed the first half of the show. All the flamenco dancers made the show really interesting. They all did a great job dancing to the music, too. I liked how there was a 20 minute intermission. This gave people time to use the restroom or just get up and stretch. The second half of the show was mainly a guitarist. He played all the songs without looking at any notes! I was really impressed. Overall, the Peninsula Symphony was a really great show. read more

Peninsula Symphony Orchestra - Program - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Altos, California

My mom was a vocal major in college, and had classical music playing in our house every day. I could have been a musicology minor in college myself. I think I was less than 10 credits away. Growing up, I was the 3rd chair violinist in the school orchestra and I played the piano competitively throughout high school. Sadly, after college, I rarely got the chance to play either instrument, and I'm not even sure if I sat at a piano today, I could play. My mom and I had the pleasure of seeing the Peninsula Symphony kick off their 60th season at Flint Center on Saturday. Acclaimed concert pianist Jeffrey Siegel played one of my favorite concertos, Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor. We enjoyed a wonderful evening of Romantic masterpieces. I left feeling inspired to take up the piano again. Tickets to concerts are very affordable, and they perform at various concert halls throughout the Valley. Check out their schedule for upcoming concerts. I know I need a little more culture in my life, and this is something my mom and I can enjoy together, which is great for mother-daughter bonding. read more

Peninsula Symphony Orchestra - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Altos, California

Thanks Yelp, Connie C. in particular, for letting me score some tickets (otherwise $35 ea) to go check the PSO at the Flint Center @ De Anza college. The performance that night featured local two time Grammy award nominee, Taylor Eigsti http://www.tayloreigsti.com/ (click that link for a jazzical sample). Taylor and friends jammed with the PSO to creatively make something both musically and visually refreshing (especially after listening to all the repeated top 40 on the radio from the drive down). The PSO definitely puts on a show. My favorite is that we were able to recognize some of the scores from commercials and childhood cartoons. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yoJ42cVQaERL69ocWIrNlA?select=mPsj_pjD46IruuBc9GvazQ) Here's some of my favorite recognizable scores. Which ones do you recognize? "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin - United Airlines Commercials. *This I heard the night of* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc "Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss - from 2001. Wow, I get chills whenever I hear this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLuW-GBaJ8k "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khatchaturian - Cleaning commercials http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg3l3r_DRI "Ride of the Valkyries" by Wagner - from Bugs Bunny cartoons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU and "Overture to the Barber of Seville" by Rossini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OloXRhesab0 and of course since this is Yelp "Rodeo: HoeDown" by Aaron Copland from the Beef commercials. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqah1rucyRg read more

Peninsula Symphony Orchestra - Peninsula Symphony Orchestra @ Flint Center - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Altos, California

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The Peninsula Symphony really did a great job on the Tchaikovsky's 5th performance with featuring violinist Nikki Chooi at Flint Center! I am enjoyed the music a lot! read more

Peninsula Symphony Orchestra - Playing in flint center - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Altos, California

Little known secret: I'm a huge sucker for classical music. Granted, I don't keep many classical CD's in the car, but Vivaldi is a regular in the rotation. One of my favorite things to do back in St. Louis was attend symphony concerts, too, especially since tickets were very affordable. Imagine my excitement to attend a concert here in the South Bay. Thanks to Yelp, we had complimentary tickets to attend a show at Flint Center, with special guests Taylor Eigsti and Julian Lage. Wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but the previous reviews indicated that we were in for a special treat. The first number was a West Side Story medley, which I really loved. My parents have the original movie soundtrack on LP and we listened to it quite a bit growing up. The Peninsula's rendition brought back a lot of warm, fuzzy memories :) When Julian Lage came out, the crowd hooted and hollered. Guess that he's quite the big deal? He took his seat at the piano bench and blew us away. Then his pal/fellow musician Julian Lage came out and played the guitar like no one I've ever heard before. It reminded me of the movie "Sweet and Lowdown" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158371/, but a bit more contemporary. These two write music together and for each other, so it was fun to watch their camaraderie onstage. The show just flew by and before we knew it, it was over. Usually when forced to sit down for long periods of time, I constantly watch the clock. Not this time around. This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience all-around. Can't wait to see another show! read more

Thanks Yelp for a fantastic opportunity to check out the Peninsula Symphony at the Flint Center . Unfortunately we got there a lil late since we had to run around finding change for a $5 so we can pay the $2 parking so the first half we ended up just sitting up on the 2nd level and was able to check out the show. It was definitely hard to see from that high up since the view was partially obstructed by the stone platforms around it. In order to see we had to sit at the edge of our chair and peer over the ledge. Luckily after the 20 minute intermission we were able to move down to the floor and scored some awesome center seats! Overall the performance was great. We loved watching the flamenco dancers move to the sounds of the orchestra. My favorite part was watching Angelo Romero work his magic on the guitar. Fantastic!! Also, having the opportunity to go backstage and meet the musicians, conductors and dancers after the performance was over while indulging in some sweet treats and wine was a perfect way to end the evening. One Gripe: $2 for a tiny Styrofoam cup of coffee at the concession stand was a lil exorbitant but I guess that is to be expected at a venue like that. Thanks Yelp! read more

Like Rita V., I got to go see the Peninsula Symphony on 1/17/08 at the Flint Center as a Yelp Elite. I took my S.O., and we thought the Flamenco-themed show would be perfect for us, considering that we both play instruments (little known fact) and I lived in Spain for 5 months. There will always be a place in my heart for all things Spanish. When we arrived close to starting time, it was pretty crowded, but we found a spot on the balcony in time to hear everyone tuning up. Overall, I thought the performance was solid -- the piccolo player (either David Latulippe or Joe Schillaci) was fantastic. It's difficult to tune a piccolo, and it sounded like he was in tune the whole time, and his bright timbre fit well with the Spanish music. The trombones also shone. I do think there were some issues with the orchestra working together as a group -- one section would rush, while another would lag. They could have just been having an off night. I enjoyed watching the flamenco dancing, since it brought back memories of Spain. I've tried a form of Flamenco dancing called Sevillana, which is local to the Spanish city of Seville. It's tough! The performers from Brisas de España were graceful and fluid in their movements, and it was impressive that they could dance for so long and make it seem effortless. At times, I did feel that the performers took away from the orchestra, rather than enhance it. The castanet work was amazing -- I know I couldn't dance and also use castanets. (As you already know, I can barely dance anyway....) Believe me, I've even tried using castanets without dancing and have been an utter failure every time. There were moments when the castanets worked perfectly with the music and other times when they didn't mesh all that well and seemed out of time. Angel Romero was fantastic. It was such an honor to be in his presence as he dazzled us with his amazing guitar-playing skills. I enjoyed hearing "Concierto de Aranjuez" complete with guitar cadenzas and also loved his solo piece at the end of the performance. One of the perks of being with Yelp was that we got to go backstage to the green room after the performance for a small reception with other concert goers and performers. It was fun to see some of the behind-the-scenes action. Overall, my S.O. and I had a great night. Thanks, Yelp! read more

First thing hubby and me did when we landed in the US was to watch the SF ballet. We dig all things classical and being a part of the bay, we were drawn to Peninsula Symphony and their performances. Hubby mentored an employee at Peninsula Symphony for over a year to create their online and social media strategy and I felt excited when Abby was giving away tickets to tango quartet and peninsula symphony concert as it was now my turn to take hubby to a concert. Loved the tango performance, the dancers were magical, sensous and almost acted as an aphrodisiac to a warm friday night. The orchestra took their flaming performance to a tempest! A night that we will remember and cherish. Except that the Fox theatre was a little run down, I am soo coming back for more!!! Special thanks to Peninsula Symphony for their wonderful programs to identify and mentor young and upcoming musical talents across the bay. And a bigger thanks to them to engage a younger demographic through their social media initiatives. read more

The bf and I attended The Peninsula Symphony this past Saturday at the Flint Center in Cupertino (Thanks Connie!). The evening showcased jazz pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti and featured Gershwin. The turnout was a lot more crowded than we had expected and thus we had to grab seats on the upper mezzanine level. The Flint is a fairly large venue with average leg room. Parking at the structure was $5. As for the Symphony....they were absolutely wonderful. :) When I hear scores in films, I often only appreciate the overall affect and sound. However, when I get the opportunity to see/hear live musicians such as the symphony, I truly get to enjoy each of the instruments on their own and how they all contribute to the final product. I do wish we were able to grab closer seats as I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been able to feel the affects of the vibrations from the instruments....next time we'll get there earlier. Overall, wonderful way to spend an evening :) read more

We saw their season closer and for who they are and what resources they have this is a great organization. My first experience with them was for the movie theme night and that was a lot of fun. The season closer was more traditional classical pieces Beethoven and Chopin. The little company does a wonderful job and on this night they had the piano guy from NPR and an organ they rented. There is a definite difference in the level of play from paid musicians (SF) and these volunteers but seeing them perform is a nice local evening when you don't want all the hustle and trouble of going up to the City. I would recommend going and plan on going again. read more

As I got to attend a Carmina Burana production yesterday in San Mateo, perhaps this review might shed some light for those wondering what to expect at a Flint Center concert. Tchaikovsky's Festival Coronation March was for an assistant conductor to have as much experience as possible to conduct at the front of crowd and for the orchestra to get comfortable with playing there in terms of knowing acoustics and other elements. I was totally fine with that although I wished the music was something besides Pomp and Circumstances meet 1812 Overture. Bruch's violin concerto's solo part was pretty good for someone not in the international stage. You can always want to hear a bit more virtuosity, but given the price the violinist was perfectly fine. It's just that orchestral parts without the solo violin sounded thin. Yes, this orchestra is a part-time, and a lot of practice is needed to get that unison from an orchestra, but still... Thankfully the third movement was adequately thrilling. I was hoping that, given the output of the violin concerto, the orchestra execution would be better. Well, this performance made me realize how extremely hard pulling off Carmina Burana was. I have not seen its full score, but reckon that there are many tempo changes a la Rite of Spring. So when the orchestra sounded raw instead of being together, I decided to be understanding and appreciative toward the orchestra and the conductor to tackle such a difficult piece. The same thing can be said about the chorus because they sounded disjointed here and there. The solo parts on the other hand were pretty good. I got my money worth being able to listen to my favorite song "the roast swan" live. What other songs would be more demented, ironic, and sorrowful at the same time? The baritone was definitely having fun singing these mason-like songs and expressing the agony of being in love. Soprano had a bit too much infliction for my taste to sound ancient (in a good way as Orff intended), but I think she did a decent job. Please understand that my viewpoint is formulated after listening to Carmina Burana on CDs dozens of times, and going to live concerts played by Vienna Philharmonic to not-so-great orchestras. So other audience's view might be different. Maybe the glitch that the translation prompt did not show up kinda made the whole crew nervous and translated into the music making. I dearly hope that would not happen at a Flint Center concert. They deserve better. read more

What a treat it is to hear a talented musician. What an even bigger treat to hear dozens of them, playing together to create a beautiful concert. And that, in brief summary, is what you'll hear when you attend a performance by the Peninsula Symphony. Per their current schedule, they play at the Fox Theatre in downtown Redwood City and the Flint Center on the De Anza College campus -- both convenient for people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. I was fortunate enough to receive tickets to the "Tango! With Quartet San Francisco" concert at the Fox Theatre on January 18, thanks to Yelp. I didn't know what to expect, but my friend and I were blown away by the talent and artistry displayed by the members of the orchestra. The program was well conceived, flowed nicely, and was "just long enough," so that I was neither fatigued nor left wanting. While watching the performance, I was especially taken by the conductor, Mitchell Sardou Klein. He looked to take as much joy out of the performance as the audience! Assistant Conductor Nathaniel Berman did a lovely job, too. Ticket prices are reasonable considering what you're seeing, and the talent of the musicians means you're getting a good value. I would love to return for another concert. read more

We had the privilege of going to the PSO's performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony last night at the Flint Center, courtesy of Yelp! So glad we went; we had a really wonderful time. I think the highest praise that I can give is that halfway through the performance, I got really hungry, and the Flint Center was preposterously hot that night... And I was still enraptured by their Dvorak performance, the whole way through. I told my fiance over and over again how glad I was that we stayed through the whole thing-- and I'll tell you now again, it was worth it and then some! read more

I love attending the orchestra but seldom have the time to make it up to see the San Francisco Symphony so I jumped at the chance to see the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra at the Flint Center in Cupertino. We attended the performance of Beethoven's Fifth with an amazing violin solo performance from 20-year-old violinist Francesca de Pasquale. It was open seating so we were able to grab seats in the first few rows and were captivated for the evening. Bottom line, Peninsula Symphony Orchestra is a great way to get some art & culture in on a random Saturday night. Ticket prices are inexpensive so splurge on season tickets if you can! read more

I have been to the Flint Center a couple of times, and enjoyed both of my visits. First time it was to see Pink Martini with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra. If you don't know who they are, look them up -- really fun music. They also can sing in a bunch of different languages. Second time I had the chance to see Taylor Eigsti and Julian Lage perform with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, courtesy of Yelp elite. Taylor and Julian are amazing young artists with mad skills. Super impressed! Both times we had a clear view of the stage without anybody in the way. Both times we had an amazing time. Parking can be a bit annoying, especially at the end of the show. But, what do you expect when you put a bunch of people in one lot and want them all to leave at the same time. read more

My friend and I had the chance to see the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra at the Flint Center in Cupertino this Saturday, courtesy of Yelp elite, thank you, and I really enjoyed it. Unlike other people, maybe I was just lucky, we had a clear view of the stage without anybody in the way. The concert started off with pieces from the West Side Story (yay!), and Taylor Eigsti and Julian Lage were the two featured artists. I was absolutely blown away how two guys in their early twenties could produce such great music. I especially liked watching Taylor Eigsti's expression as he played the piano. At points, he looked like he was having so much fun! They also had a jazzy feel to some of their pieces which I loved. My parents absolutely love music, so I might get them tickets to a concern one of the upcoming Saturday nights. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed the May 18th performance of the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra along with the two guest artists Alex Zhou, Concert Violinist, and Renee Rapier, Mezzo-Soprano vocalist. These artists were both amazing but I especially enjoyed Mr. Zhou, who is only 17-years-old! You can go to YouTube and listen to him perform. read more

Just got back from a stirring performance at the beautiful Aragon HS Theater in San Mateo CA. The bldg. is brand new. Even the men's room. It was a free, one hour+ performance. What some people didn't know, is that there was a 40 minute performance, before hand, showcasing winners of a big piano competition @ Stanford. I saw this on the symphony website. After the event was over, the audience was invited to come up on the stage, to ask questions or have a close look @ the instruments. This was a family concert. Hope folks left $ in the small donation box b/c it was worth every penny ! read more

i'd heard many great things about this orchestra, and was very excited when i finally had the opportunity to hear them in concert last month. the program for the evening included a debut by a virtuoso violinist, a highly anticipated performance, and concluded with dvorak's new world symphony, one of my all-time favourites. the orchestra is excellent and plays in complete harmony, each instrument working together to create beautiful music. size-wise, it is a bit on the smaller side, since i have seen and heard many other orchestras around the world which are bigger in size and have more instruments represented. but overall, i really enjoyed my first pso performance and look forward to future concerts with this orchestra. read more

Most recently I attend Natasha Paremski plays Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Flint Center in Cupertino. This was my first symphony, however I am an avid listener of KDFC, so it was a treat to listen live to a few recognized pieces. Natasha was amazing and captivated me as she not only played the piano, but moved me. I used to play the piano growing up and should have never gave it up . My daughter now has an interest and this was a fantastic opportunity to bring her. She was astonished at how quickly Natasha's hands moved across the keys. I can't wait until our next opportunity to attend another symphony! Thank you Yelp, for providing us with an outstanding night out! read more

My husband and I scored free tickets to see Taylor Eigsti with Julian Lage (courtesy of Yelp Elite - thanks!) and we LOVED it. I grew up playing classical pieces on the piano and I really loved hearing Taylor's rendition of some of the classics. Julian was also a wonder on the guitar, watching both of them live gave me goosebumps! It was such a great duo performance, and the Penninsula Symphony Orchestra really augmented the sound so beautifully. I highly recommend watching the Orchestra, it's a great experience to hear live music so beautifully played and well-put together. I'd love to be back! read more

Being a classical music nut since I was a kid, the performance by the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra was superb. The evening started out with Essay No. 1 then later 16 year old violinist Mayumi Kanagawa with Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor. It was my first experience witnessing Mayumi live and it will not be my last. The evening ended with my favorite performance from the orchestra which was Dvorak's New World Symphony. It was a pleasure listening to this wonderful and renowned piece. It put me into a state of trance where I felt the music with my mind and soul. You have to experience this to know what I am talking about! read more

We had the pleasure of receiving two free tix from YELP to the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra's May 17 performance at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City. No assigned seats and we arrived 30 minutes early and had our choice of just about any seat in the first 3 rows. The seats did fill in, but what a treat to sit so close. The orchestra is tremendous. We heard about 2 hours of great music. Like nothing I had ever experienced. All seats were $40 if you had to buy one .. cheaper for seniors and students. Will be going back. read more

I attended the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra's "Gershwin Night" at the Flint Center in Cupertino. The PSO did a wonderful performance which I truly enjoyed - congratulations to every one in the Orchestra. The performance started at 8:00PM but I was told that if I go at 6:45pm I would be able to listen to one of the conductors going over the history behind Gershwin's music. This was great, except much to my surprise she only focus on three of his pieces and passed the microphone to the star of the piano Taylor Eigsti, a very talented young man who played the piano, but instead of Taylor talking about his love for Gershwin's music he decided to pushed his own agenda - selling his jazz cds and asking the audience to "please stay after the intermezzo and to clap for the encore because they have been practicing for an additional piece". Furthermore, he did this request several times and people didn't want to leave in order not to disappoint him. The idea of an encore is that you have a standing ovation because you are good and not because is requested. I was expecting and evening of Gershwin instead I listened 70% of the time to music and lyrics composed by Taylor. He brought his band from New York and they were all talented musicians yet not what I went to see. I believe Taylor should have remained whole as a great piano player that he is and play Gershwin's music rather than combining an imposing his desire to the public. Going from the high of a Cuban Overture, Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess Symphonic Picture to the low of "sad" modern jazz music was not pretty. I will continue going to the city rather than helping to promote art in the peninsula. read more

Great, spirited performances by an all-volunteer orchestra. A friend in the East Bay brought me here; he said it was a great experience and he was right. (He knows a lot about classical music.) I wish the seating wasn't general, but otherwise it was a great night. I'll go again. read more