A season of sound

The Cinnabar Theater chamber music program will get a boost on Dec. 5 when two local ensembles bring holiday cheer to the stage of the intimate Petaluma performance space.

The Sundays@7 concert series will present the Sonoma County Philharmonic Brass Quintet and String Quartet in a program that includes an homage to the winter season.

“The Sonoma County Philharmonic and Cinnabar Theater have had a close relationship for many years, with a joint objective of bringing performing arts to the community with local artists,” said French horn player David Poe of the Sonoma County Philharmonic Brass Quintet. “Cinnabar sponsors a music series each year, and we offered to develop a chamber music performance as part of that series.”

The brass quintet features Poe, Tom Hyde and Dave Lindgren (trumpets), Jeff Barnard (trombone) and Floyd Reinhart (tuba) and will be performing an eclectic program.

“The brass quintet repertoire is a compilation of types of music played by brass quintets, ranging from classical pieces to popular music arranged for our instrumentation,” Poe said.

The brass quintet members are also members of their respective brass sections within the Sonoma County Philharmonic.

Poe is immediate past president of the Sonoma County Philharmonic, a community orchestra based in Cotati. He plays in numerous concert bands and orchestras in the Bay Area, and is an avid chamber music player performing in woodwind quintets and octets, and brass quintets.

“Most of the brass quintet members have played with the Sonoma County Philharmonic over its 22-year history in the community. Although some of the individual players vary for particular performances, the group has been together as part of the philharmonic for over 20 years,” Poe explained. “We also periodically bring our music to the community, such as performing for some of the senior-living centers and community centers throughout the county.”

Both ensembles have a strong commitment to supporting the local arts scene.

The string quartet includes Pam Otsuka and Ned Phipps (violins), Steve Watrous (viola) and Carol Vines (cello). Its program will feature “The Christmas Concerto” by Corelli, “December” by Tchaikovsky and selections from the “Winter” movement of The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.

“We all started playing in grade school and met through various chamber music classes or local orchestras. We have all played with the Sonoma County Philharmonic at some point,” said violinist Pam Otsuka, adding that the Sonoma County Philharmonic String Quartet has been together for more than 25 years. The ensemble has performed many times at Petaluma’s Aqus Café, the Sonoma County Museum, Bethlehem Towers (a retirement home in Santa Rosa), the Kenwood Depot (as part of its chamber music series), several Sonoma County libraries and for North Coast Ballet “At Twilight” fundraisers, many of which were held at the Petaluma Arts Center.

“We all love to play music,” she said. “We rehearse regularly and every rehearsal includes dessert!”

Otsuka, a Santa Rosa resident, also is a string coach at the Santa Rosa Junior College Orchestra, and a member of the Santa Rosa Chamber Orchestra, North State Symphony and ECHO Chamber Orchestra.

For musicians who, for the most part, have been silenced by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on indoor public gatherings, the upcoming holiday concert will bring a breath of fresh air.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Cinnabar Theater,” Poe said, “since it demonstrates our combined commitment to community-based live music and theater for the enjoyment of Sonoma County residents.”