Love, love, love. Whether you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day date or just want a break from all the holiday hubbub, there’s a bouquet of musical choices waiting for you in February. This time around, Seattle seems to have an appetite for tales of tragic love, anchored by major productions of two of classical music’s most cherished works: Prokofiev’s ballet Roméo et Juliette and Puccini’s La Bohème. If star-crossed lovers aren’t your cup of tea, treat your date to a light-hearted evening of a cappella vocals or a concert of passionate Russian chamber music. Or perhaps you’d like to forget about all of February’s sappy romance with a glass of wine and some Schoenberg?
Feb. 1 – 10 — Gear up for Valentine’s Day with Pacific Northwest Ballet‘s sizzling production of Prokofiev’s Roméo et Juliette. MvB was there for opening weekend and calls the show a “knockout”.
Feb. 7 — The TownMusic series continues with violinist Jennifer Koh. She’ll take the stage at Town Hall for “Bach and Beyond Part II,” a potpourri program that connects Bach, Bartok, and new music for solo violin by Phil Kline.
Feb. 7 – 9 — Guest performers from across North America will join local musicians for the 28th annual Seattle Improvised Music Festival. Most performances will take place at the Chapel Performance Space in Wallingford’s Good Shepherd Center.
Feb. 15 — Sip wine and mingle in the Benaroya Hall lobby at the second installment of Seattle Symphony‘s new late-night concert series. The program highlights Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire song cycle, along with other modern and contemporary works.
Feb. 16 — British a cappella group The King’s Singers brings their vocal talents, enormous repertoire, and onstage charm to Town Hall for a concert hosted by the Early Music Guild. For a sample of their unique style, check out their performance of “Masterpiece,” a work that attempts to summarize the entire history of classical music in nine minutes.
Feb. 17 — The Russians are having a party, and you’re invited. Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich will be the stars of the evening at the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle‘s “Winter Nights” concert, which features guest pianist Alexandre Dossin.
Feb. 22 – 23 — Song and dance combine in “Wayward Sisters”, a collaboration between Pacific MusicWorks and the Seattle Dance Project. Three female sopranos are joined by three dancers for this production, which juxtaposes 17th century Italian song with new music by local composer Karen P. Thomas.
Feb. 23 – Mar. 10 — Hooked on tales of doomed romance? Seattle Opera wraps up the month with a production of La Bohème, Puccini’s story of tragic hipster love in 19th century Paris.
