Popular Concerts at the Presidio Begins 7th Season

Presidio of San Francisco (January 11, 2012) — Some of San Francisco’s most talented young musicians will be on display when the popular Concerts at the Presidio series returns for a seventh season with a dynamic evening of classical piano by musicians from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. A showcase for young artists, the series premieres Thursday and Friday, January 12 and 13 at 7:30 pm at the Presidio’s Golden Gate Club.

Since their debut in 2005, the concerts have grown into one of the Presidio’s most popular ongoing programs, providing a platform for talented young performers and offering a top-flight entertainment and cultural experience to the community.

Acclaimed pianist Sofija Nedic of the conservatory’s Master Student Program headlines this month’s concert performing works from Brahms, Chopin, Liszt and Scarlatti in a powerful program ranging from the pensive Baroque to the gloriously effusive Romantic. Born in Belgrade, the 20-year old Nedic took up piano at the age of five and began performing when she was six. She has won more than 20 national and international piano competitions.

The evening also includes performances by students in the conservatory’s preparatory division.

Thirteen year old pianist Alex Marquez will perform pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt. The Brentwood teenager has been tickling the ivories since he could reach them, having begun playing piano at age three and making his solo concert debut in San Francisco at 12.

And fourteen year old violinist Alina Kobialka will perform Franz Waxman’s Carmen Fantasie. A member of the San Francisco Symphony’s Youth Orchestra, Kobialka is a winner of the orchestra’s Concerto Competition and has performed with the orchestra at Davies Symphony Hall.

The next Concerts at the Presidio, Rhapsody con Brio, will be held Thursday and Friday January 12 and 13 at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop on the Presidio’s Main Post. Performances begin at 7:30 pm. Seats can be reserved by calling (415) 447-6274. A $10 donation ($5 for seniors and children) is requested.

Five more sets of concerts — including an evening of Broadway classics and opera arias and a musical tribute in honor of the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th anniversary featuring songs from the 1930’s and 40’s — are planned throughout the year.

The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park site that is located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The areas overseen by the Trust include expansive open space and spectacular views, a 300-acre historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The park comprises nearly 6 million square feet of buildings, including 433 historic structures that contribute to the Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District.