excellent music. Played the Mahler 2nd. Very well done. excellent music. Played the Mahler 2nd. Very well done. read more

We are so fortunate to have this wonderful music collective in the Bay area. Thank you to each and every orchestra member for bringing great music to us! read more

I went to Redwood Symphony concert performed at Canada College on Saturday night. It was great. It was my first Rachmaninoff's Piano concert. Piano! It's amazing. Daniel Glover's technique....Gorgious. The harmony was just awesome. I had an opportunity to chat with symphony players at a parking lot and they are very nice. read more

This symphony is so great. They are fun to watch and they play great programs. They also get great musicians to perform for concertos. I've been to 2-3 performances and always hope to attend more. Above all, the conductor is the best. He speaks before the pieces and makes things interesting. I learned some cool facts from him about Classical music. read more

Amazing and beautiful music right in our own backyard! They play a variety of different concert themes, each one very unique. You can also tell that the musicians, aside from being very talented, enjoy playing as well. I definitely recommend this symphony for a wonderful night out. read more

Nice large community symphony that plays crowd pleasers as well as challenging music. Kids under 18 are now free, which is nice and adult tix online (Goldstar) are discounted, so it is reasonable as well. I like the free lecture an hour before the concerts which give the music context. Compared to other community symphonies, they are also very talented I think. Lot more dynamics and ability to execute tough music compared to others. read more

I was tapped on the shoulder by a friend to check this group out. I didn't expect much since I have not heard of this group previously. Actually, I never knew that there were any musical art events/groups happening on the Peninsula. But to my surprise the RS blewww me awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Briilliant, exciting, colorful... Just recently attended the Global Sonorities with my wife. We loved it. With the qaulity that is produced from the RS one would think that they are a paid symphony, and to my surprise they are all volunteers. I support the arts and i certaintly will support this group... For $20 is an absolute steal..better yet under 18 is free! If you ask me they are worth far north of $20. The conductor, i believe his name is Eric, provides a pre-concert lecture. A great way to learn about every piece performed. I would have to say he is very warm and very engaging. I will definitely make their next concert. read more

Attended a concert last night at the Cunningham Memorial Chapel in Belmont. The theme of the concert was "North American" and they had an interesting mix of songs composed between 1944 and 2000. The concert started with a song called "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No. 1" by Joan Tower. Next, they had a soloist, Cole Grissom, accompany three short pieces, "Warm as the Autumn Light" by Douglas Moore, "The Confession" by Jake Heggie, and "The Sermon" by Carlisle Floyd. Cole was a good singer, but I think the performance would have been more balanced if he had a microphone so that he wouldn't have gotten overpowered by the symphony. His performance was slightly theatrical too...different than what I'm used to for these type of concerts...interesting to see it once, but not my favorite. THEN there was the piece I was waiting for. Appalachian Springs, composed by Aaron Copland. I had played this piece in my high school orchestra and it was nice to hear the piece again after so many years. After intermission there were three more pieces, "Blaze" composed by Vivian Fung, "Old and Lost Rivers" by Tobias Picker, and "Danzon No. 2" by Arturo Marquez. Danzon No. 2 was a really fun piece and I totally felt like going to a salsa club afterwards! All in all it was a nice laidback Saturday night activity and I got to hang out with my friend whose co-worker was in the symphony. Great way to support local music programs! Oh yea, they also had an interesting concert program that gave backgrounds to the composers, songs, and performers which made good reading material during the songs that weren't my favorite :) I would definitely attend their performances again, especially if there were a particular song I was interested in or to hang out w/ that particular friend :). Admission is $25 at the door, $20 online, and $12.50 if you are part of another local orchestra/symphony. They also have some homemade cookies you can purchase and Peet's Coffee. read more

Redwood Symphony is simply a local treasure! Their upcoming Halloween Concert is not to be missed. Canada College Main Theatre, Saturday, October 30th, 3:00 PM. Selections from Harry Potter, Disney sound-tracks, Borodin, Revuelta's "Sensemaya," and more. Don't miss this event. Get season tickets. This group is one to watch and listen to!! For more information, check out www.redwoodsymphony.org read more

We started going to the symphony because a friend of my husband's plays in it, but we continue to go because it's an excellent group! They are an all volunteer community group, but don't let that put you off - they're actually much better than all the other community groups that I've heard. They tend to tackle some heavy hitting pieces, not just pops stuff. Last night's Shostakovich/Prokofiev/Tchaikovsky program was lovely. There are very often free pre-concert lectures that are worth attending. They're generally entertaining and informative. The homemade cookies and cupcakes during intermission are YUM. The prices are stellar for a nice night at the symphony. All in all, I suggest checking them out if you're looking for a nice Saturday night out. read more

I'm just back from the summer pops concert and it was great. How can you lose with the William Tell Overture? The Haydn Symphony was very well done. The first half ended with a quirky thing called the Uptown Serenade, apparently it's music from a Marx Brothers movie??? The second half was songs by Bella Sorella, a very talented Soprano duet, with a violinist and pianist. Highlight of that part of the show was the lower-voiced woman doing a really outstanding version of Nessun Dorma. I expect to hear that sung by a tenor but she did a *really* great job. The group does pop concerts and family stuff, but there is also at least one world premiere on their season, as well as a Mahler Symphony. I don't have to drive to the City, mess with insane parking and traffic and the music is good. Five stars, check out the Redwood Symphony. read more

BRAVO, Redwood Symphony Orchestra !!! What a great concert-version of Mozart's Don Giovanni you performed last Saturday at Redwood City's Canada College. And I personally don't even care that much for opera. But what we were treated to Saturday night seemed like a perfect balance between the singers and the orchestra. And not once did it seem like one unit overwhelmed the other. It was fantastic teamwork in great unison, and you guys deserved every bit of the cheers and accolades you got from the (sold out?) audience at the end. In boxing there's a saying about a top performer regardless of weight-class that he's "pound-for-pound the best in the business". And considering that you guys are an amateur orchestra with limited rehearsal time, in relative comparison I'm not sure that even professionals like the San Francisco Opera could have done much better than what you and the RWSO did last night. Congratulations, Maestro !!! read more

Last night my wife and I were treated to a spectacular concert for $20 per ticket. I no longer attend the San Francisco Symphony, believing that you can hear (almost) as much through good speakers without spending a fortune on a symphony concert. However, I was proven wrong last night. Maestro Eric Kujawsky gives an excellent pre-concert talk that really helps you appreciate the upcoming music. The concert hall is fairly small, so there are no bad seats. I was surprised at the excellent acoustics. Seating is not assigned (at Canada College), there is adequate legroom (I am tall), and a variety of tasty cookies are for sale for a buck each before the concert and at intermission (with good coffee for $2). We experienced Stravinsky's concerto for piano and winds, and the Ives Symphony #2. These were the pieces that drew me to the concert, and I was not disappointed. The Brahms Tragic Overture was also a treat. I'm ashamed to think that I could have enjoyed these as much on a stereo. If you are put off by symphony orchestras being for snobs and/or the wealthy, well, DON'T. The Redwood Symphony is a gem and a real bargain. You can be dressy or in your jeans. Oh yes, the parking is nearby and free. read more

We've been attending Redwood Symphony concerts for the past few years and they seem to get better each season. Pre-concert lectures by Music Director Eric Kujawsky are informative and fun. Their programs not only feature the usual war horses but innovative pieces seldom heard that broaden our music experience. The cost of tickets is minimal, the venue at Canada Collect is comfortable and the parking is free!. read more