_________________________________________________________________________

Wanna read a weird story? Over the weekend I wrote in the Bee's print edition about Fresno Philharmonic music director Theodore Kuchar's strange tale from the Czech Republic involving a late-night train, a mysterious man in black and a map with a strange smell. From my story:

"He pushed the map under my nose," Kuchar is quoted as saying in the Czech police report. "It was dark in the compartment. I smelled slight 'stink' from his sleeve or map, like some chemical ... Then the man left and I fell asleep right after that."

When he got to Fresno the morning of Dec. 21, he opened the cases. Both violas were gone.

Turns out that cash from Kuchar's wallet was missing, too. When he made the police report, officers told him that thieves have all sorts of nefarious ways for parting people from their belongings on European trains.

On the jump: a reader responds.

I took yesterday off and am just getting around to recapping my weekend: Saturday night at the Philharmonic's debut at the gorgeous Shaghoian Hall; and on Sunday a road trip up to Playhouse Merced to commune with one of the great country music legends in the charming "Always ... Patsy Cline."

The Phil concert was tremendous. The intimacy of the Shaghoian, combined with the exactitude of the acoustics, made it seem as if the audience was right up there on stage amidst all the music stands. Way back when I played at the high school and college level, it was common for me as a player immersed in the action to be able to assign a directional component to my listening experience: The trumpet was coming from that part of the room, say, and my ears would confirm that. I felt that way Saturday night, and it was a delight. I became obsessed with the violin section, especially during the orchestra's performance of Beethoven's 7th Symphony, and marveled at the range of dynamics -- the opening was so soft that I was reminded of barely beating insect wings. The louds were triumphant, too; and as I waited for the piercing brass in the fourth movement, it was almost as if it were a tactile thing -- as if I were anticipating actual impact. Adding to all this was Theodore Kuchar's intensity on the podium as he conducted from memory.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For George Warren's thoughts on the concert, check out his review of the concert at musiccriticfresno.com.

I've already mentioned the Fresno Philharmonic's historic set of concerts this weekend, but it's worth a follow-up. This will be the first time the Phil plays in the gorgeous Shaghoian Concert Hall, which has received acoustical raves. It will play an all-Beethoven program. I asked music director Theodore Kuchar if he's looking forward to the venue. Here's what he wrote to me:

Forget the fact that we are in Fresno. Wherever in the world the wonderful Shagoian Concert Hall would have been located, it is unquestionably one of the great venues with a seating capacity totaling nearly 800 seats. Aesthetically, I have rarely viewed a hall which exudes such class and good taste. Acoustically, when the Philharmonic and I rehearsed there for the first time the Orchestra had a sound which we had never heard, from ourselves, previously. Many of the world's greatest orchestras - the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Dresden Staatskapelle, whose titles are directly associated with the concert hall they call "home" - have identities which are largely a product of the concert hall, or acoustic, of which they are residents.

UPDATE: Looks like we have our winners: Jay Montes and Kendall Simsarian. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL POST: This weekend the Fresno Philharmonic opts for something different: The orchestra is performing 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Shaghoian Concert Hall, the acclaimed new performance space at the Clovis North Educational Complex. This 800-seat house was designed with acoustics in mind, and I know that musical director Theodore Kuchar is looking forward to the Phil's first performance there. The orchestra will be playing an all-Beethoven program.

I have four ticket vouchers to give away to this weekend's performances -- you get to choose whether you want to go Saturday or Sunday. I'll give them to the SECOND and THIRD commenters to this post. Keep in mind, however, that if you win one of these ticket vouchers, there's a little bit of hassle involved. You'll need to pick them up at The Bee, and then you'll need to take them to the Philharmonic box office (located at 2377 W. Shaw Ave.) to exchange them for actual tickets. The vouchers are good for any of the upcoming Philharmonic concerts in the season except for Itzhak Perlman, but I'm told that seats remain for this weekend's performances if you want to use them then.

A few notes: Winner will be notified in an e-mail, so leave a real one. No repeat comments please. You're ineligible if you've won something in the past 30 days. We won't post any comments until we have a winner. Complete rules after the jump.

I caught both of Fresno's philharmonic orchestras over the weekend: the pros, otherwise known as the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra, in the Cirque de la Symphonie show Friday at the Saroyan Theatre; and the Fresno Youth Philharmonic, which combined with the Fresno State Symphony Orchestra for a monumental evening of Mahler on Sunday in the same place.

My verdict: Loved the Mahler. Wasn't so hot for Cirque.

I tried to like Cirque de la Symphonie, I really did, and even at intermission, I was still willing to give it a chance. But by the end, I found the production on the anemic side. It split awkwardly between a sort of ho-hum holiday musical event and a low-rent Cirque show. I was surprised, frankly, at how small the Cirque cast was (just seven performers) and the rigidity of the program. Here's how it worked: The orchestra played a holiday tune by itself, and then one of the Cirque acts came out (usually a solo performer) and performed some contortions/juggling/acrobatics in front of the players as they played an accompanying piece. And then, repeat. No variety to the program, no sense of drama or occasion. And certainly very little visual spectacle. We're not that far from Las Vegas, after all, where the various Cirque shows explode with color and light, and this version was basic and perfunctory.

I just checked the Fresno Philharmonic's ticket site, and there still seems to be a smattering of seats available for tonight's big Cirque de la Symphonie show. This is the first time the orchestra has partnered with a Cirque-style acrobatic company before, and it should offer a welcome twist on the traditional holiday-concert format. I'll be hoping that Ted Kuchar pulls some nifty Cirque moves himself -- perhaps bungee-jumping from the balcony to the podium for his stage entrance?

Lots of other cultural offerings as well tonight and through the weekend, of course, including mucho theater. I've got a busy-busy-busy three days planned. Here's my tentative schedule: Cirque de la Symphonie tonight, "Grasmere" at Fresno City College Saturday afternoon (and in just a few moments I'll be posting a ticket-giveaway for that production), Christmas Tree Lane walk Saturday night, "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" at Fresno State Sunday afternoon, and the combined Fresno State Symphony/Youth Philharmonic Mahler concert Sunday evening. Then on Monday I recover from culture-overload-diabetic-shock.

Anyone else have a cultural mini-marathon planned this weekend?

This coming weekend has a crowded cultural calendar, which I wrote about in my Sunday Spotlight column, and one event almost guaranteed to sell out is the Fresno Philharmonic's "Cirque de la Symphonie" holiday concert 8 p.m. Friday. I checked in with the Phil folks this morning, who told me:

"It isn't sold out yet, but it is getting close."

I keep learning about even more events vying for your cultural time (and dollars) this weekend, by the way. David Highbaugh, a member of the San Joaquin Chorale, writes:

Don't forget about the San Joaquin Chorale's two concerts of Christmas music also this weekend. On Sat. Dec. 5 at 7:30 PM at the First Mennonite Church of Reedley, the San Joaquin Chorale under the direction of Dr. Roy Klassen will present a concert of Christmas choral music from around the world, including new arrangements and traditional carols. The church is located at 1208 L St. in Reedley, and there is no charge, though a free will offering will be taken. The concert will be repeated on Sunday night Dec. 6 at 6:00 PM at the Palm Ave. Community Church in Fresno (222 E. Fountain Way).

The Fresno Philharmonic this weekend was as sturdy and muscular as a body-builder. The challenging program showed off the orchestra's strong musicality. I went to Sunday's matinee, and I walked away with an added bounce to my step, as if I'd just been supercharged with brassy ions. At the point that conductor Theodore Kuchar closed his score and started romping through the final movement of Tchaikvosky's 3rd Orchestral Suite from memory, I knew I was in for a brisk, confident ride.

Cellist Zuill Bailey elicited an enthusiastic response from the audience, and part of me suspects that it wasn't 100% because of his superior musicianship. I could swear there was some mild swooning going on in the Saroyan. Bailey says sometimes when he's walking through airports carrying his instrument case he's mistaken for a rock star, and it's easy to see why: He's got the charisma, not to mention the hair. (Kuchar jokes that when he first invited Bailey back to play again by popular demand for his orchestra in Reno, some women patrons changed their seats closer to the front so they could see better.)

My faithful classical-music-in-schools-zealot correspondent, Robert Bullwinkel, dropped me a note today about cellist Zuill Bailey, the guest soloist for this weekend's Fresno Philharmonic concerts -- I have a story in this morning's 7 section about the program -- and his visit this morning to Kingsburg:

I just saw Zuill Bailey perform for students at Rafer Johnson Junior High in Kingsburg as a part of the Fresno Philharmonic's Concertos for Kids program. Mr. Bailey wowed the students with his performance of Bach's Cello Suites, but really connected with them when he spoke of the misconceptions about classical music. Bailey said that when he walks through the airport wearing shades and a black leather jacket with his black cello case strapped to his back, he is often asked what rock band he plays for. People are disappointed when he says that he is a classical musician, but when he played musical examples from popular movies, the students quickly realized that they did have a strong connection with orchestral music.

The students all came from classes taught by teachers in the Keeping Score Education program, a project of the Fresno County Office of Education and the San Francisco Symphony. This week, they studied Bach and listened to his music performed by today's special guest. I also heard the Phil rehearsing the Tchaikovsky Suite last night. It's going to be a GREAT concert!

Last-minute reminder: The Fresno Philharmonic is providing a great family-friendly opportunity tonight designed to get kids more comfortable with classical music. Here's our item from today's 7 Things to Do list:

7:30 p.m. Friday / Saroyan Theatre, 700 M St. / (559) 261-0611, fresnophil.org / $15, $10 children

Kids, we'd like you to meet this really cool guy named Tchaikovsky. The Fresno Philharmonic joins with Classical Kids Live! for a theatrical symphony presentation geared toward budding musical lovers ages 6 and up. The story tells of the composer's arrival in New York for the grand opening of Carnegie Hall. Free games and activities will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby.

It'll take me a while to get back into the swing of things after my two-week trip to New York City. (I plan to write more about the experience in my Sunday column and online.) So bear with me.

First I want to ask a theater-related question: Did anyone get out to see the original musical "Havin' a Hot Flash" a couple of weeks ago at the Tower Theatre? I'm always interested in original works, and I'm curious to hear how this project played out. What did you think?

For the remainder of the week, I'll be doing some catch-up. Tonight I'll be at Fresno State to watch "Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter," directed by Kathleen McKinley, which opened Friday. I need to get over to the Fresno Metropolitan Museum to see two new exhibitions, "Marc Chagall: The Early Etchings from the 1920s" and "The Art Books of Henry Matisse," which both opened in mid-October. (Pictured: Chagall's "The Ass and the Dog.") I hope to work in a return trip to "All in the Timing" at Artists' Repertory Theatre, a title that delighted audiences at two Rogue festivals. And there's a slew of mid-November events to get ready for, including Tchaikovsky at the Philharmonic, the touring show "The Wedding Singer" and the Western Band Association championships.

Besides the big hoopla over the mural, did I miss anything else of interest while I was out of town?

As Mike Oz already pointed out, tonight's a big deal for music. For the sizable contingent heading out to the Saroyan Theatre at 7:30 p.m. to partake in The 5 Browns, the young-sibling musical piano sensation, I'm posting the tentative program on the jump so you know what you'll be listening to.

Tickets start at $20.

Don't forget: Student rush tickets for $15 are available to high school and college students one hour before the show at the Saroyan Theatre Box Office. Offer good only with valid Student I.D.

The Fresno Philharmonic kicks off the 2009-10 season Saturday and Sunday, and we'd like to hear what you thought of the performance. Was the Ansel Adams multimedia component effective for you? How was the audience? What kind of impression did guest soloist Shannon Lee leave on you? Submit your review as a comment on this post.

When it comes to making classical music accessible for high-school-age kids, it's hard to think of a better ambassador than violinist Shannon Lee. She was just 12 when she soloed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Now 17, she's one of the music world's hot young players, and she's here to share her stuff with Fresno when she performs Saturday and Sunday with the Philharmonic. This morning she made a special visit to Bullard Talent to play for students. I asked Bob Bullwinkel, visual and performing arts coordinator for the county education office, to describe the scene. He writes:

The performance this morning was great! Packed house and incredible playing ... . Lee performed a "Concerto for Kids" that included Schubert's Erlkoenig and Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee, both of which fascinated the young audience members and showcased Lee's technical virtuosity.

Lee will play the Glazunov Violin Concerto in the Phil's opening concert, which I wrote about in Friday's 7 cover story. For more of Bullwinkel's description of Lee's school concert, continue to the jump.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: We have an email out to our third commenter. Thanks for playing!

ORIGINAL ENTRY: This should be a popular event: The Fresno Philharmonic, in conjunction with the Stockton and Sacramento orchestras, commissioned jazz icon Dave Brubeck and his son Chris to write a piece titled "Ansel Adams: America." The orchestra will play the piece as more than 100 Adams images, among them his famous Yosemite shots, are projected overhead. Also on the program is Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" and young wonder soloist Shannon Lee, who will perform Glazunov's Violin Concerto. I have a cover story about the concert and the upcoming season in Friday's issue of 7.

I have TWO orchestra tickets (row K) to give away to the 8 p.m. Saturday concert at the Saroyan Theatre. I'll give them to the THIRD commenter on this post. You have to pick up the tickets at the Bee's front lobby by 5 p.m. Friday. Please remember: No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have a winner. Rules are on the jump.

I knew it would be an impressive crowd Friday night for the Fresno Philharmonic's inaugural pops concert at Woodward Park the moment I got off on the Highway 41 Friant Road exit. It was about half an hour before the concert began, and the line of cars waiting to get into the park nearly stretched to the freeway. The concert ended up starting 20 minutes late just so people could park and get to their seats.

And what did they find when they got there? An absolutely perfect evening, temperature-wise, and a pretty fun musical one as well with guest artists Sons of the San Joaquin. With their booming cowboy-song voices and laidback, get-along-little-doggies charm, The Sons know how to smooth their way into the hearts of a crowd. And it was pretty obvious that this partisan turnout included many of their fans. Adding to the mix was the superb Rich O'Brien on guitar, Richard Chon on fiddle and Ray Appleton on guitar/harmonica.

I'm just so impressed with the richness of the band's sound, and particularly the character-drenched voices of lead singers Jack and Joe Hannah. When Jack Hannah sings about the loneliness of the frontier and the solitary life of the cowboy, his deep voice evokes a wide open sky with millions of stars -- and a melancholy young man looking up at them.

In terms of the orchestral accompaniment, I liked this high-concept performance better than the Beatles concert earlier this season, when the orchestra was mostly overpowered by the amplified sound of the guest artists. In arrangements of such Sons songs as "Way Out There," the orchestra was used to strong effect. There were moments when the strings soared and the brass flared in a way that added a whole new depth to familiar music. When principal oboist Jose Diaz played the theme to "Shenendoah," the winsome sound brought tears to my eyes.

UPDATE 11 pm 6/11: Looks like we have our fifth commenter. I have an email out to confirm. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The Fresno Philharmonic on Friday night will roust itself from the familiar confines of the Saroyan Theatre and head to the Woodward Park Amphitheater for a big, cheery pops concert featuring the Sons of the San Joaquin. Music director Theodore Kuchar, self-described "head wrangler" (pictured), conducts. You can read my Sunday Spotlight story here.

And I have two tickets to give away to Beehive readers. Get this: You'll even receive free parking!

I'll give the tickets to the FIFTH commenter to this post. No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have the winners. The winner's name will be placed on the Will Call list at the entrance to the park. And remember that you aren't eligible if you've won something on the Beehive in the last 30 days. Rules are on the jump.

An update from the Philharmonic: Park admission fees of $3 per vehicle are waived for advance ticket buyers courtesy of the Fresno Philharmonic and Gateway Ice Center. Concert tickets should be shown at the park entrance and gatekeepers will have a list of advance ticket purchasers.

More info on the concert after the jump.

UPDATE 3 p.m. Thursday: OK, we have our two winners sorted out: Margo Serrano and Stephanie Hower. Note that there were a couple of emails I received that were lost in the blogging software, so the winners don't correspond with the published comments.

UPDATE 2 p.m. Wednesday: We are SO close to having an eighth commenter in this giveaway. Just wanted you all to know.

Let's celebrate the Fresno Philharmonic's last weekend of concerts for the season (featuring pianist Orion Weiss) by giving away FIVE free tickets to Beehive readers. These "anytime" tickets are good for best available seats at either the 8 p.m. Saturday or 2:30 p.m. Sunday performances. (You can redeem them an hour before showtime at the Saroyan Theatre box office.) Along with Weiss as guest artist, you'll get the chance to hear the orchestra play the monumental Bruckner Sixth Symphony.

I'll give TWO of the tickets to the SECOND commenter to this post, and I'll give THREE tickets to the EIGHTH commenter. No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have the winners. You'll need to come down and pick up the tickets at The Bee. And remember that you aren't eligible if you've won something on the Beehive in the last 30 days. Rules are on the jump.

UPDATE 9 a.m. Saturday: Looks like we have our winners. Confirmation emails will go out Monday when I get back to work. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: I have some very special Fresno Philharmonic tickets to give away. They're "anytime" tickets that can be used for any of the remaining concerts in the season. (That's for the April 18 and 19 performances with violinist Corey Cerovsek, pictured, and the May 9 and 10 performances with pianist Orion Weiss.) Here's how these ticket vouchers work: You bring them to the box office before the performance you want -- it opens an hour and a half before curtain -- to get a best available seat. Or, if you're the type who likes to firm things up in advance, you can go by the Philharmonic office (2377 West Shaw Ave. Suite 101) during business hours and exchange your voucher for a seat.

Got that?

OK, so here's the good news: I have a whopping SIXTEEN of these anytime tickets to give away to Beehive readers. I'm going to give them away in groups of four. The winners will be the FIRST, FOURTH, SEVENTH and TENTH commenters to this post. (A reminder: We have a rule at the Beehive that you can only win something every 30 days, and that includes the recent "Monsters vs. Aliens" screening, alas. So if you're really keen for these seats, make sure you're eligible.) No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have the winners. Rules are on the jump.

Also on the jump, find out more about the exciting first concert in next season's Philharmonic lineup: an original piece by the father-son team of Dave Brubeck and Chris Brubeck titled "Ansel Adams: America." The Fresno Philharmonic is a co-commissioner of the work.